Thomas Frank has insisted Tottenham Hotspur playmaker Xavi Simons has been "fantastic" in training, but offered no guarantee he will start Saturday's visit of Brentford.
Simons, 22, has endured a difficult start to life at Spurs since he completed a £52 million ($69m) move from RB Leipzig in August.
Netherlands international Xavi has only two assists in 18 appearances, but appeared to be adapting to the demands of Premier League football before the November international break with a string of improved displays before being dropped to the bench for four games in a row by Frank.
Asked if Simons was not doing enough in training, Frank said: "Xavi has trained fantastic the last five or six times we really could train. Very good attitude on the training pitch. I like that a lot.
"We played different games, with different line-ups. I think that Xavi was [working] towards something better and better and as long as he's the same like Mathys Tel, train well, good attitude, then we're getting closer and closer.
"And I think it's also fair to say that he's coming on in all four games we've played."
Even though Simons has been used off the bench in the run of three defeats in four, Frank's decision to name him as a substitute for the visit of Fulham last Saturday raised eyebrows, especially when Tottenham are struggling for creativity.
Spurs went on to lose 2-1 at home to Fulham and are winless in the nine matches that Xavi has not started since he signed towards the end of the summer transfer window.
When Simons is included in the starting line-up, Tottenham boast a record of six victories in nine but Frank insisted his desire to play with two forwards in Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani was the main reason behind the Dutch attacker being benched last weekend.
"It's just different scenarios. We played with two strikers against PSG. Both of them scored," Frank said.
"I think it's fair to say that and I would not say that we struggled to score because we scored 23 goals. I think that's quite a fairly high amount.
"So, that's quite good, but also we played with the two just a little bit different role against Man United, so it's just different personnel and who's been a little bit in form and stuff like that."
Frank will face his old club Brentford for the first time on Saturday and despite pleasantries pre-match, it is a crucial fixture for the 52-year-old.
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Spurs' battling point at Newcastle on Tuesday provided a much-needed jolt of positivity, but Tottenham have won only three of their last 14 games in all competitions.
It was Frank who brought Keith Andrews to Brentford and the former set-piece coach will aim to increase the pressure on his old boss at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
"First and foremost, I think it's big credit to Brentford to be brave enough to promote within," Frank pointed out.
"What I saw in Keith, very good man, good values, good coach, had leadership potential, so yeah very impressive."