Swindon Town manager Mark Cooper believes that Ryan Mason would be playing in Tottenham Hotspur's first team if injuries hadn't blighted his progress.

The 22-year-old, who is on loan at the Robins, has spent the last three weeks on the sidelines following another injury setback.

Despite being loaned out five times in the last four years, Cooper insists that the youngster has the talent to succeed at Spurs, but first needs to get over his injury problems.

"The kid deserves a period of injury-free time so he can show how good he is on a football pitch instead of worrying about where his next one is coming from," Cooper is quoted as saying by the Swindon Advertiser. "He's been really unlucky. He's had his injuries and they've stopped him. I think if he hadn't been injured he'd be playing in Tottenham's first team now. He's that good technically.

"I know Tim [Sherwood] rates him really highly and if he hadn't have had these injuries he could be in their first team. If we can get him ready and right for 15 games we've got a hell of a player on our hands.

"He's still a young lad, he's got plenty of time and seasons and I'm sure that somewhere along the line he'll have an injury-free spell where he can really show his amazing talent."

Mason has made one start as a Tottenham player, that coming in the Capital One Cup clash against Carlisle United at the start of last season.