Antonio Conte unfortunately had to do without first-team regulars Ben Davies and Oliver Skipp through injury for Tottenham's 2-1 pre-season friendly win against Rangers on Saturday. The duo weren't the only players missing either as Sergio Reguilon, Giovani Lo Celso, Tanguy Ndombele and Harry Winks once again remained behind in the capital after the head coach's decision to omit them from his South Korea tour plans.
However, there was also another two Tottenham players who didn't make the trip north of the border despite featuring in the Far East just over a week ago. The two in question were Harvey White and Troy Parrott.
Taking a 24-man squad with him to Ibrox, Conte and the Lilywhites were boosted by the return of five of the club's six new signings and Joe Rodon after missing out in South Korea. Positive Covid tests unfortunately saw Fraser Forster and Yves Bissouma unable to feature in their two games, while Ivan Perisic also didn't take to the pitch as he worked his way back to fitness from a calf issue.
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As well as the trio, the head coach also had fellow new arrivals Clement Lenglet and Djed Spence to pick from in Glasgow for the first time. There was simply no way Conte could give everyone satisfactory playing time and the fact the six players were back resulted in bad news for Parrott and White.
The pair didn't look out of place in the game time they were given in South Korea but the decision not to take them to Rangers does seem to indicate what comes next for them, especially Parrott. Enduring difficult loan spells at Millwall and Ipswich Town in 2020/21, the Republic of Ireland striker spent last campaign on loan at League One side MK Dons and really caught the eye.
A regular in the team and getting the minutes he craved to help his development, he played a huge role as MK Dons challenged for automatic promotion to the Championship. Conte and his staff were always going to take a closer look at him this summer before making a final decision.
The Championship ideally needs to be the player's next port of call so he can test himself at a higher level. He certainly isn't going to be short of offers in the division as football.london reported in June that Swansea, Middlesbrough, Preston and QPR are all keen on him.
Speaking to football.london on the club's tour of South Korea, Parrott did indicate that he's not sure what comes next, instead focusing on trying to impress for Tottenham.
"I'm not too sure what's going to happen [to me]. Since pre-season started I've been focused just on this tour and focused on doing whatever I can to impress the boss and impress the coaching staff," he said. "They've got some great players, got a great manager and I think they should be aiming for the most they can get. The sky is the limit."
With the new Championship season commencing next week, Parrott's name may crop up a bit more over the coming days and weeks as Tottenham get their plans in place. Already behind a number of outstanding options at Spurs, a spell in the Championship really is the best thing for his development and Conte's selection at Rangers does appear to indicate where he currently stands in N17.
White, who has been linked with Swansea City, is also another player who requires a loan spell to help hone his game, especially after remaining at Tottenham in 2021/22 after catching the eye at Portsmouth the previous campaign. Another loan spell didn't come to fruition as the limited midfield numbers meant he was a regular on the bench in the second part of last season, and the youngster will again find himself way down the pecking order if he remains.
Rodrigo Bentancur, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Skipp and Bissouma are the team's first-choice midfielders, with Pape Matar Sarr, on his return from his loan spell at Metz, appearing to be the fifth option next season going on the pre-season selections. One way or another Spurs face a decision over both Sarr and White as they are at a key stage where they need to be playing regularly to progress.
The Senegal international has featured in all three pre-season games for the Lilywhites so far and Conte needs to decide whether it is better for the player to head elsewhere for a year or stay at the club and develop. That could possibly impact White in the process, with his homegrown status something that could help the club out if they get into a predicament over their homegrown and non-homegrown numbers.
Saturday's selection does highlight White's current place in the Tottenham squad and the same goes for Parrott. What happens next for both should become a lot clearer over the coming weeks as Spurs finalise their plans for the new term.
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