After three weeks without a fixture, Saints will visit fellow strugglers Brighton in a fixture that could yet define either team's season.

Manager Ralph Hasenhuttl told the club's official website: "We didn't take any risks. We want to give him the time to come back during the three-week break.

"We will play a friendly against a Championship team and he can play for 45 minutes maybe in that time and build up his fitness.

"We need to build him up for the games that are coming after then, as they are very important."

Southampton will then face difficult fixtures at home to Liverpool and Wolves before visiting Newcastle, where Mario Lemina should also be fit following his return to training.

The midfielder has also been absent since January, owing to an abdominal operation, and Hasenhuttl added: "Lemina trained with the team for the first time (on Thursday) and I was very happy about that."

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