Southampton fans recently received some positive news as Ralph Hasenhuttl has stated (as per Daily Echo) that Moussa Djenepo is back in full training.
The 22-year-old has been out of first-team action since September through injury, but Hasenhuttl now claims that he is back on the mend and is now partaking in training sessions.
The Austrian boss also used Thursday’ press conference (via Daily Echo) to update media on the fitness of Cedric, with Sofiane Boufal and Nathan Redmond both recovering from knocks sustained after Tuesday’s Carabao Cup defeat.
Hasenhuttl said: “They [Djenepo and Cedric] trained today for the first time with the team which is positive. “Moussa was very, very positive. He was immediately laughing. He has such a positive nature, it’s fantastic”
“I am happy those two are back and it’s a bit too early for the weekend. It was a light session but for the Everton game, it is an option”
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The potential return of both in the near future will come as a welcome boost for the tough fixtures to come. Djenepo, who arrived this summer from Standard Liege, had a big impact in his first handful of appearances for the club, with a pair of goals away at Brighton and Sheffield United. His impact in the squad was almost immediate, with his three solitary appearances yielding a Whoscored average rating of 7.56 – a team-high.
When compared to the output of Nathan Redmond, it makes for grim reading for the Englishman. Despite starting eight games, Redmond has scored just once and is yet to assist, as well as an average rating of 6.71 in the top-flight. With this in mind, it is no wonder that many Saints fans are eagerly awaiting Djenepo’s return.
Saturday’s tough fixture away at Man City – a re-run of Tuesday nights clash – looks like it will come too soon for both Djenepo and Cedric, but with the pair set to be back at some point in the near future, it could prove to be a vital turning point in the club’s season.