Southampton boss Mauricio Pellegrino is considering recalling defender Virgil van Dijk for his first game of the campaign following injury.

"Virgil was training well. Tomorrow we will decide. Hopefully he will be getting better every single week, but I am happy with that because, it's not just about Virgil; everybody is ready to be a part of the team.

"For me, the captain is something that the team may decide and you have to deserve instead of something the manager can give.

"Now, when he is not playing, you cannot put the captain as someone who is not playing but obviously Virgil was one of the leaders of the squad."