Jay Rodriguez has given Saints fans a huge boost by announcing that his recovery from long-term injury is well on track.

It’s been a turbulent summer for Saints so far with the departure of manager Mauricio Pochettino to Tottenham and Rickie Lambert to Liverpool, as well as speculation surrounding the future of several first-team players, including captain Adam Lallana and Luke Shaw.

But the England striker has given the St Mary’s faithful a reason to cheer by stating that’s he on the road to recovery.

Rodriguez was top-scorer at St Mary’s last season with 17 goals and was in the frame to go to the World Cup before he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in the 4-1 defeat at Manchester City in April.

Since that heartbreak the 24-year-old has been working hard, barely having a day off, at the club’s Staplewood training ground.

Talking about his rehabilitation, he said: “It’s going really well; I’m hitting my targets and going through the stages of building the muscles at the moment.

“From post-op I had to let the swelling go down and let the scar recover. Now it’s about switching the muscles on and that’s the stage I am at the moment and that’s going well so far.

“I don’t really know when I’ll be back, so it’s just about taking each stage as it comes."