Southampton defender Jack Stephens believes he can return from injury ahead of schedule.

At the time, manager Ralph Hasenhuttl said he could have been sidelined for up to 12 weeks – which would have taken Saints into the New Year without the former Plymouth man.

But Stephens told Livescore: "I have (set a target) — it might be a slightly different one to what the physios are thinking, though!

“Seriously, there is a game that I would like to be available for selection. That is my private target that I'm working towards."

He continued: “The team are going really well, so just to be in the mix and available would be a good start.

“Things get really busy during the December period in terms of fixtures, so hopefully some rotation will give me a chance to get myself back in the team and I can nail down that starting spot again."