Southampton boss Claude Puel has been speaking club captain Virgil van Dijk, who has been out injured since hurting his ankle against Leicester on 22 January.
Of a possible return for the man he describes as "the best defender in the Premier League", Puel says: "It's a long injury and we will see if he will come back before the end of the season."
Asked if that makes it more likely that Van Dijk will stay after being linked with a move, Puel says "it doesn't change anything - he's an important player for us, he's our captain".