Schwarzer will play his last game for the Cottagers against Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Saturday before departing for Qatar, where he will represent Australia in the Asian Cup. The 38-year-old, who recently committed his future to the club despite interest from Arsenal, could be missing until the start of February if, as expected, the Socceroos reach the final stages of the tournament. That leaves Stockdale with another chance to impress after he filled in admirably for the Australian while he was injured at the start of the season. Stockdale was pencilled in for a surprise call-up for England's Euro 2012 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Switzerland in September after four excellent performances which included a man-of-the-match debut against Bolton and a penalty save in the 2-2 draw with Manchester United. An ankle injury denied him that chance but Hughes believes the former Darlington stopper can put himself back in the international reckoning with some more good performances, starting with Tuesday's game against West Brom. "Obviously it's a big loss losing Mark but David did really well when he came in at the beginning of the season and there's no reason he can't do exactly the same again," said Hughes, who will rely on 20-year-old Neil Etheridge as back-up for Stockdale in January. "He did really well and obviously got near to an England squad. "If it weren't for the injury he probably would have been in it. "He made a real impression. Obviously with Mark's presence absent we have to hope that he makes a similar impression. "There's no reason why he can't because he's been training well. "We were aware this period was coming up and he's ready for it." Fulham go into the game at Spurs having ended their eight-match winless run with a 2-0 triumph at Stoke that also ended the club's 16-month wait for an away victory. Hughes admits his side, who are 18th in the table, must go on a run in order to quickly move away from the relegation zone. Crucial to their chances of success at Spurs will be how they handle the threat of Gareth Bale, the Wales winger who Hughes thinks can go on to become one of the best players in the world. "I think he has come on leaps and bounds," said Hughes of the 21-year-old. "Everyone was aware of the talent he had as a kid. "Every step of his progression is accomplished and it doesn't faze him. "He keeps on going up to the next level. The impact he has had has been fantastic and I'm sure that the club will be delighted with the progress that he has made in such a short space of time. "If he keeps going then there is no saying what level he could reach." Bale forms a key part of a ruthless dynamic attacking formation employed by Spurs manager Harry Redknapp which has already seen off the likes of Arsenal, Inter Milan and Werder Bremen this year. Hughes is full of admiration for his London rivals, who are fifth in the table, and expects them to challenge for the title this year. "Spurs in full flow are as dynamic as any team now," the Welshman said. "They will take some stopping and they have the chance to push on this year and if they really have the belief, and I'm sure they have, then they could go very close this year." The former Blackburn boss hopes Spurs' eagerness to attack will leave his side with plenty of chances to hit them on the break. Hughes continued: "From an opposition manager's point of view games against Harry's teams can be quite open and they leave opportunities to exploit."
