Southampton midfielder Mario Lemina has made his return to full first-team training.
The Gabonese international has been sidelined since the team’s 3-1 home defeat to Manchester City in the Saints’ final fixture of 2018.
Lemina has been suffering from an abdominal injury and even underwent minor surgery in a bid to help him return to fitness more efficiently.
After several months out of action, it seems the ex-Juventus star is making significant steps in his recovery, with Ralph Hasenhuttl confirming that he returned to full training on Thursday.
As quoted by The Daily Echo, the Southampton manager delivered a positive update on the condition of Lemina. He said:
Lemina trained with the team for the first time today and I was very happy about that.
Hasenhuttl has played a midfield trio of Oriol Romeu, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and James Ward-Prowse in the absence of the 25-year-old, and has seen the trio develop into a formidable force.
Lemina will not be fit for Southampton’s match against Tottenham Hotspur this weekend, but will undoubtedly hope to be available for their trip to Brighton and Hove Albion at the end of the month.
