Tottenham Hotspur youngster Pape Matar Sarr has seriously impressed Antonio Conte since his return from the World Cup late last year.

What's the latest?

Spurs have suffered a major blow in their midfield recently with their Uruguayan central midfielder, Rodrigo Bentancur, missing through an injury he picked up in the World Cup.

It was initially thought the 25-year-old would only miss a few weeks and would likely return for the game on New Year's Day against Aston Willa, however, this has not been the case.

This has offered a number of players with an opportunity to impress Conte but it is apparent the likes of Yves Bissouma and Oliver Skipp have perhaps fluffed their shot in the starting XI.

But speaking on Chris Cowlin's YouTube channel, journalist Ryan Taylor has claimed the young Senegalese midfielder has seriously been impressing Conte of late:

(29:15) "But I would also say, I think I mentioned it earlier in this video call, but the emergence of Bryan Gil and Pape Matar Sarr in recent weeks has been such a huge positive for Spurs.

"Because Conte's really seen something that he can work with. I know Sarr returned early from the World Cup when he was expected. And the time he spent on the training field has really left an impression on Conte."

Time to shine

Since returning from the World Cup, Sarr has made his debut for the Lilywhites with appearances from the bench in their last two league games against Villa and Crystal Palace.

And then the 20-year-old was handed his first start as a Spurs player in their FA Cup game against Portsmouth on the weekend where he played the full 90 minutes in N17.

This all comes after months of sitting on the bench and, at times, not even being included in Conte's matchday squad after spending last season out on loan with Metz.

But following the World Cup, the midfielder pretty much returned straight to London to get back to work under the Italian manager and it seems as if this has gained the 53-year-old's trust.

Amid the January transfer window, there have been some reports suggesting the player could leave on loan for the remainder of the campaign with the Serie A side, Salernitana, showing an interest.

However, it seems as if the youngster may finally be getting his opportunity at Spurs having impressed massively in the games against Palace and Portsmouth.

And it sounds as if he is doing the right things behind the scenes, too, with Taylor claiming the Italian boss is taking a real shine to the young midfielder.

There is a tough run of games ahead for Spurs in the coming weeks, so it will be interesting to see what role Sarr may play in these games and how Bentancur's potential return could affect his game time.