Southampton have been handed an injury boost after Ralph Hasenhuttl confirmed that Romeo Lavia could be set to return for the Premier League game vs Crystal Palace on Saturday.
The Lowdown: Spell on the sidelines
The Saints earned a deserved 1-1 draw against league leaders Arsenal last weekend, but were once again missing the 18-year-old, who has faced a significant spell on the sidelines.
The midfielder sustained a hamstring injury during the victory over Chelsea back in August and hasnāt featured since, though a return to action could be just around the corner after a positive update from the boss.
The Latest: Lavia fitness update
Speaking during his Thursday pre-match press conference, Hasenhuttl revealed that Lavia has now returned to full training, and whilst he hasnāt yet been given the all-clear, is optimistic that he could feature vs the Eagles.
As quoted by the clubās official website, he said:
āWeāre hoping some players are coming back from injury. Romeo today was, for the first time, back in the session.
āIt was a pleasure to see him playing. Weād like to have him in the squad on the weekend but I think we donāt have the OK so far from the physio so weāll have to wait.
āItās normal. Because he was out for so long and now heās the first day in the session so we must pay attention. Itās good to see immediately his quality on the pitch which is fantastic to watch.ā
The Verdict: Boost for Hasenhuttl
Lavia has been dubbed a ādiamondā by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, and his potential return would be a huge boost for Hasenhuttl given his summer arrivalās impact, even if we have to wait another week.
Prior to his absence, the Belgian was averaging two interceptions and 1.4 tackles per league game, as well as having a goal to his name after just five appearances (WhoScored).
Southampton and Palace are only separated by one point, so this game presents the perfect opportunity for the south coast outfit to capitalise and leapfrog their opponents in the table.
