Saints manager Mauricio Pellegrino has confirmed that Virgil Van Dijk might be included in the squad to visit Crystal Palace, but he hasn't made his mind up yet !

Speaking in the pre match press conference Mauricio Pellegrino has confired that he will make a late decision on whether to bring the Dutch defender back into the squad for the trip to Selhurst Park.

“Virgil was training well. He played 90 minutes the other day in the reserve game, but tomorrow we will decide [if he'll be involved against Palace].”

On the players fitness, Pellegrino added:

“Hopefully he will be getting better every single week but I am happy with that because it’s not just about Virgil, it’s everybody right now ready to be part of the team.”

However Pellegrino was more evasive on whether Van Dijk would still be team Captain after the issues of the summer.

“For me the captain is someone who the team may decide and something that you have to deserve — not something the manager can give the player to be a captain,”

“This is my point of view.”

When asked if Van Dijk deserved the captaincy, he said:

“Now, when he’s not playing? You cannot be captain if you’re not playing. Obviously Virgil was one of the leaders of the squad.”

In my opinion I think that the first step in re integrating Van Dijk back into the squad will be to name him in it for the trip to Palace, although I feel that he will not even be named amongst the substitutes.

It will be an exercise in showing the supporters that the player himself is ready and willing to play, so that means taking him to Palace even though his match fitness is probably not good enough yet after only one U23 game to his name in the last 9 months.

Then there is the question of keeping morale in the squad, although I have not been the greatest fan of either Yoshida and Stephens as to their ability to pay consistently well at this level, the fact remains that so far this season they have been better in than Van Dijk in that they have been available and able to play.

From this point of view they do not deserve to be discarded the moment Van Dijk is back in the squad, he should be fully fit and games under his belt and shown that he is a better bet than either, although of course he is a better player than either of them, he did not show that on Monday against Aston Villa at Walsall, he hs to prove to not only the fans, but his team mates too hat he is raring to go and ready to give his all to the club whilst still here.

Photo: Action Images

davepid added 16:18 - Sep 14 It's a year to the day we played Prague in the Europa group phase . We won 3 nil with Austin getting two , making his £4 m transfer an absolute bargain, and our favourite, JRod getting one. That result promised much but as we know we misfired in Europe, lost Fonte, and struggle for goals. But that match also reminds me of one reason Peul was appointed: to bring on the Academy. A year on only two are established or could be said to have had a good 16/7 season. One of those, JWP, is not everyone's favourite and Stephens is there courtesy of Fonte and Van Dilk. We rightly concentrate on the first teams performance but can someone explain where the academy graduates are or, due to the TV money hike, academies are a thing if the past .

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Sanguin added 16:27 - Sep 14 He bloody well better be in the squad. I'll be there on Saturday and if he is then I'll cheer his name and everything naming him in the squad represents for the future of Southampton football club. It will probably be the only thing I cheer on Saturday given the likely 0 - 0 scoreline...
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mgprobert added 16:28 - Sep 14 is he any good? more to the point is he bothered?
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redandwhitedee added 16:48 - Sep 14 It would be an absolute disgrace if he is in the squad after that performance on Monday. What message does that send to the rest of the players. Send VVD on loan to Eastleigh or Yeovil free of charge - or maybe Dundee Utd in future anticipation of Jamie Robson's January transfer here. He clearly needs to get a lot of match practice before can set foot on premier lge soil again.

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DPeps added 18:06 - Sep 14 Can he play attacking midfield?
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the_saint added 18:38 - Sep 14 Vvd hasn't played since January and will be a bit ring rusty for the palace game I think he will get back in for stoke away as I fear that the fans at home to Utd would be on his case at the first mistake. I for one will cheer him on his return ok he's been a silly boy and badly advised but hey ho don't we all make mistakes in life. So all you saints fans out there either get behind him or say nothing. Booing him won't make things any better

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dovif added 19:37 - Sep 14 He looked completely disinterested on Monday. That was always going to be aproblem keeping someone against their will. How they will react and vvd went as far as forgoing $6-7 mil to hand in a transfer request. This was always going to end in disaster and affect other players morale. While we have send a message to vvd and all the other players. It has definitely hurt morale and we are still Missing 2 quality midfielders/strikers if we keep playing this way someone will be fired over this

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SaintBrock added 20:57 - Sep 14 I'll stick to script, he will not play for several weeks yet. Even putting him on the bench as a sop to reconciliation would be a huge error of judgement on Pellegrino's part as a loyal player would have to be relegated. Not good at all for teams spirit.
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SaintBrock added 20:57 - Sep 14 I'll stick to script, he will not play for several weeks yet. Even putting him on the bench as a sop to reconciliation would be a huge error of judgement on Pellegrino's part as a loyal player would have to be relegated. Not good at all for teams spirit.
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kingolaf added 08:37 - Sep 15 If he's fit he has to play, simple as that. This is a professional football club, not a Sunday morning pub side. If someone gets dropped, so be it. It's not about being fair, it's about putting the best possible side out.
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SonicBoom added 09:27 - Sep 15 If he is fit and up to speed play him. He's the best we've got. If he's not match fit and still rusty then he doesn't. He should be expected to reach a certain standard before going back into the team.
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