Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhüttl feels the return to fitness of Mario Lemina will provide a welcome boost after he came off the bench during the 3-1 defeat at Newcastle United on Saturday.
Lemina, who was making his first appearance since December against Manchester City due to injury, was introduced at half-time as Saints looked for a way back into the game.
His influence on the game was clear as he halved the deficit, and, despite the game ending up in disappointing 3-1 defeat, Hasenhüttl was pleased to have the Gabon international as an option again.
“I’m happy for him. He came into the second-half in a very difficult game and showed that he has quality on the ball and good physical attributes. It was a fantastic goal for him,” Hasenhüttl said.
“It’s a good sign for him and I hope he can stay without pain because that will be good for us.
“The second-half was a good first step for him to get 45 minutes and we play again on Tuesday so let’s have a look to see what position we can use him.”