Claude Puel will have his first chance to see some of the players who were involved in the Euro 2016 tournament in France this evening.

One of the drawbacks of the European Championships in France this summer lasting longer and finishing later has been that Saints like many other clubs have seen their pre season's disrupted with many of their players given extended breaks to recover from the tournament.

This has affected Saints more than many in the Premier League with not only a lot of players involved but with a new manager who is not familiar with his squad.

Therefore that has meant that with just over two weeks to the season to go, Puel has still not seen a big chunk of his squad in action.

That will change tonight when he has his first chance to see some of the squad back from France.

Returning tonight for their first run out of the pre season against FC Twente will be Shane Long, Steven Davis, Ryan Bertrand and Fraser Forster.

Missing though will be Jose Fonte and Cedric Soares who were given a little longer off due to their involvment in the final in France.

This is also part of the reason why Saints have slotted in an extra friendly into the schedule with the game against Espanyol, without it Puel would only have had two opportunities to have played his full squad, although there is a chance that a behind closed doors friendly might be slotted into the pre season programme.

But the game against Twente will enable the new manager to take things a little further forward and start to hone the formation or formations he is intending to utilise during the coming season, although whatever team he puts out will be a little out of balance given that he does not have the only genuine right back in Soares available nor a first choice central defender in Fonte.

Photo: Action Images

DPeps added 09:29 - Jul 27 Cedric is our 'only genuine right back'? What about the guy who played RB most of last season?!
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IWOZTHERE added 12:59 - Jul 27 I don't think there's much between Cedric and Martina.To be honest I've got doubts about both given our current aspirations. It may not be THE priority but we don't want a 'back-up' for that position, if we're in the market for another RB he should be proven. Cedric did very well at the Euros but he's still the same player who made a few errors last season.
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