Saints manager Ronald Koeman today held a press conference ahead of Saturday's Premier League trip to West Brom.

Here, the Daily Echo brings you the highlights of what he had to say.

On team news...

Daily Echo: Toby Alderweireld

Toby Alderweireld is close to being back, but still not available for this weekend. But we have good hope he will be fit enough for next Tuesday (against Crystal Palace) after Saturday and that is good news that he is very close to being back.

“It is always frustrating for everybody, for the manager as well because you like to have everybody available, really competition between the players in your squad, but it’s the last player who has to come back, out of Jay Rodriguez and [Emmanuel] Mayuka, but we know that story.”

On being close to full strength...

"It’s always the best because you have really competition between the players. We have a lot of possibilities on the bench to change players or to change the game if you want and that’s the best. Injuries are part of football and a little bit unlucky with our injuries last few weeks but people are coming back and that’s a good notice for the rest of the season."

On the importance of the next few days...

“The next two games are very important for our chances until the end of the season. If you win the two games then still you are close to the big ones, if not maybe there will be a distance. I think we play a lot of our chances in the next two games.”

On West Brom and Tony Pulis...

Daily Echo: West Brom manager Tony Pulis

“I watched two games of them the last few weeks and I think it’s normal that, as a manager, when you are coming into a new team you try to play out of a good defensive organisation what they have.

“It’s not easy to score against them. All the results of them are very close, not a lot of goals in this games and always the opponent has more ball possession, but it’s not always about to have ball possession but what you make of that. They are very strong in set pieces and that’s a big quality of them.”

On whether Sadio Mane has been forgiven for being late for the Liverpool match...

Daily Echo: Sadio Mane

“Yes, of course. I punished the player because that’s one of the rules and the instructions that we have with the players. Everyone is allowed to come one day late on a training session and that’s no problem, but to play you have to be on time. That was on that day and after that day it’s like before and that’s no problem.”

On the recent lack of goals

“It’s not about one player. Of course, our front players need a little bit sharpness in the box. We have to realise at the beginning of the season we had a lot of midfield players scoring goals and we are a little bit struggling as team in creating chances, in scoring goals. I’m not very worried about that because we have good quality attackers in our squad and it will change. I am happy about the way we play and sometimes to win or to lose is so close to each other.”

On the possibility of the 2022 World Cup being played in the winter

“I think it’s a problem for the Premier League, because we like to play during Christmas and a happy New Year. It’s always a little bit strange to nominate Qatar as the country for the World Cup and then have a discussion where you play the tournament. It’s a little bit wrong in my opinion, and it’s strange to play during the football season. It’s not my problem, we are talking about 2022 and it’s a long time. Life goes fast but not so fast to think about that.”