José Fonte has revealed that Dani Osvaldo sent an apology following the training ground incident in which the striker allegedly headbutted the defender.

The club-record signing was suspended for two weeks by Saints last month and was subsequently loaned out to Juventus on transfer deadline day.

Fonte said there had been some communication with the striker since the incident, including a message from the Italian international saying sorry, although he explained that could not undo all the damage.

“There have been a couple of text messages, apologising and stuff,” he said. “But some things take time to heal.”

Fonte added: “He left, obviously he left for a reason, and it was for the best for the team and the club.

“We move on, I’ve moved on and he has surely moved on as well, so everything is alright.

“The club thought it was for the best, so, if the club decided that it is for the best, then, obviously, it will be best for the group.”

Saints yesterday extended their unbeaten league run to five matches, with a 2-2 draw against Stoke, but Fonte summed up the frustration among the players at failing to win all three points.

“It is a disappointing day. This is one of them days when you are ahead, when you are in a winning position, you need to close up and just not concede anymore,” he said.

“We were twice in winning positions and twice conceded sloppy goals, in my point of view.

“It was a disappointing day, frustrating not to get three points at home. At the end, we went to the dressing room feeling a little bit like we could have done more than just a draw.

“The conditions were not the best and we started the game really well. We scored, but, as I said, the first goal was a soft goal to concede.

“Then we went back in front again, so we didn’t do that badly, but at the end of the first half we conceded and that gave them the momentum.

“In the second half they closed their lines, defended for their lives. It was all us pressuring them, but we couldn’t get the third goal.

“We tried everything, but it was one of them days in the second half when we couldn’t score.”