Mauricio Pellegrino says Shane Long is fit ahead of Southampton's Premier League showdown with Newcastle on Sunday.
Long missed Republic of Ireland's crucial World Cup qualifying win over Wales on Monday, after picking up a hip injury in the victory at home to Georgia last Friday.
However, he has returned to training with Saints this week and looks set to be available when the Magpies visit St Mary's on Sunday afternoon.
Pellegrino said in his pre-match press conference: "He was training today 100 per cent, he is much better, and I think he will be ready."
The Saints boss also said that there were no other concerns following a busy week of international action for his players.
"All of them are ok," he said. "Most of them didn’t play the second game – Maya, Mario, Fraser, Ryan, Shane, Davo. All of them more or less have had time to recover properly and I think they will be ready, most of them."
Despite that positive news, though, Pellegrino says managers must always consider what being away with their national teams has taken out of players.
"Yes, it’s true, it’s a fact," he said. "When you go to international senior teams and you are playing important games you have to be there focused, 100 per cent, and when they come back you don’t know how they will react, but I have to know what is the evolution of them between the international break and a Premier League game.
"Not everybody reacts in the same way. But, in this situation and occasion, I think all of them are prepared."
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