UEFA Cup First Round/first leg: Robbie Fowler has been told it is time to stand up and be counted. The former England striker returns to the Manchester City side for tonight's UEFA Cup clash with Lokeren knowing he must start to perform if he is meet the challenge to his first-team spot from Paulo Wanchope.

With just two goals in 19 appearances since his £6 million move from Leeds last January, the pressure is on Fowler to deliver.

Keegan axed Fowler for the visit of Aston Villa 11 days ago and brought Wanchope back following the Costa Rican's two-year injury nightmare.

Wanchope repaid that faith with a last-gasp goal that earned City a point at Fulham on Saturday and responded with disappointment when Keegan informed him he was being rested today in readiness for Sunday's clash with managerless Tottenham.

It means another opportunity for Fowler to prove he is the man to partner record-signing Nicolas Anelka in attack.

"The time has come for Robbie to show what he can do," Keegan said. "I have defended him in the past because there was a reason to.

"When he came here, he hadn't played for a long time and he had just come back from a major injury. We know what he can do and if he does it, we all know he is world class.

"He has an opportunity to show that against Lokeren."

The change is one of several Keegan is contemplating.

German defender Michael Tarnat is struggling to overcome the thigh problem which kept him out of the Fulham trip, so young defender Stephen Jordan has been added to the squad, while Claudio Reyna is in line for his first start since arriving from Sunderland.