Daniel Farke is judging Facundo Bunanotte as a squad player, not one signed to instantly improve Leeds United's starting XI, after a difficult start to the Argentinian's time at Elland Road.
His only Premier League football for Leeds so far has come as an 85th- and 71st-minute substitute. He was unused against Fulham and Chelsea, and left out of the squad completely against Nottingham Forest.
In his only league game on loan at Chelsea in the first half of the season, he was also substituted at half-time, at Brentford in September.
"It's always important that you are not carried away by expectations from a signing," said Farke of the only mid-season addition. "We haven't signed Facundo to improve our starting XI straight away, we have signed him to improve the depth in our squad.
"We allowed Jack Harrison, a left-footed winger, to go on loan (to Fiorentina) because it was his wish; we have sent one of our young stars, Harry Gray, on loan (to Rotherham United). We wanted to strengthen the numbers a bit in the offence.
"We have Noah Okafor, Brenden Aaronson, Willy Gnonto and Daniel James for these positions and of course he comes into the situation during the season, it's never easy.
"We said, 'We'll give you the spotlight, we'll give you the stage and all the support, and an arm around your shoulder. We don't expect you to cut this league into pieces. It's step by step. If it works out, great. If not, it's a loan for both sides.'
DISAPPOINTING DAY: Facundo Buonanotte was poor on his full Leeds United debut, at Birmingham City in the FA Cup (Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)placeholder image
DISAPPOINTING DAY: Facundo Buonanotte was poor on his full Leeds United debut, at Birmingham City in the FA Cup (Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
"He didn't have this best game in the last cup game but it was a bit expected because when you bring a player in who has rarely played a game, this happens sometimes."
Farke is pleased Leeds are at a level where it costs tens of millions of pounds to upgrade their XI.
"His mother club (Brighton) has decided to send him out on loan," he pointed out. "And his mother club is not too far away from us in the league (a place and a point above).
"Should he come in without having played and play straight away ahead of all our options? Then we would have a problem.
HAMSTRING INJURY: Leeds United's Noah Okafor (Image: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire.)placeholder image
HAMSTRING INJURY: Leeds United's Noah Okafor (Image: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire.)
"If we want to bring a player in who makes our starting line-up better straight away, we need to invest £30m, perhaps even £40m in January. This is how far we have come.
"We just like his potential. We like his character a lot. If it works, great – without any risk, without a transfer fee, we have a fantastic player. Otherwise, we use him for the depth in the squad, also to hold the pressure high on the other players.
"It's not like after one poor performance in the cup, I write him off or I'm unhappy with the loan.
"We have to get rid of this thought that if a Premier League side sends us a player on loan, we have to be grateful and play him. Thank God those times are over."
The fifth-round tie at home to Norwich City will be on March 8, kicking off at 4.30pm.