Southampton star Virgil van Dijk is expected to return to Saints' starting line-up
The Dutchman handed in a transfer request this summer in a desperate attempt to force a move to Liverpool but Saints refused to sell.
The £70million-rated defender returned to Premier League action for the first time since the saga by making a late cameo in last weekend’s 1-0 win at Crystal Palace.
But Van Dijk is likely to find himself back on the bench when Manchester United visit St Mary’s tomorrow.
Southampton boss Mauricio Pellegrino said: “We will decide if he plays but every single week for Virgil is important because he is getting better after a long period of time without playing a game.
We will decide if he plays but every single week for Virgil is important because he is getting better after a long period of time without playing a game
Southampton boss Mauricio Pellegrino
“He is an important player for us and every single week will improve, but at the same time he needs to train and he needs to play.
“The best training session for me is to play games and now he is playing in the reserves but the good news is that he is involved in the team and is training well.
“He will continue to play in some of the reserve matches but not all of them as I would like to introduce him little by little.”
Saints have lost just one of their opening five league games but face a big test against unbeaten Manchester United.
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