Sofiane Boufal appears to be making good progress in his recovery from a toe problem.
The winger has been in and out of the Southampton squad of late as he nurses an issue that was sustained after he accidentally kicked a table at his home in November.
Boufal was not in the 18-man group that faced West Ham United, but returned to the bench and was an unused substitute as Saints beat Aston Villa 3-1 at the weekend.
Despite his sporadic inclusions in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squads, the Moroccan has been largely unable to train.
However, he was pictured in Southampton’s official training gallery on Sunday during a recovery session as he made his return to the Staplewood pitches.
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Boufal has had a positive impact whenever he has been called upon this season and he could be a crucial player for the club.
Hasenhuttl has opted against starting him since he was harshly dropped in September, but he could be tempted to bring him back into the fold ahead of a busy schedule.
Boufal will be desperate to get himself back on the pitch and running at defenders, too, as he bids to stake his claim for a regular starting spot.
