Florin Gardos has suffered a setback in his recovery from a serious knee injury but is still hoping to be fit for the start of the season.

The £6m centre half has not played for a year after suffering a bad knee injury in the pre-season friendly against Feyenoord in July 2015.

Gardos was back on the training ground before the end of last season and managed to make a comeback playing for the under-21s.

It was hoped that the 27-year-old would be able to get a full pre-season campaign under his belt this summer to really mark his return and push him back towards the first team.

However, Gardos picked up an injury before Saints jetted off for their first pre-season trip to Baltimore and was left back at Staplewood to receive treatment.

Though it is understood that the problem is not too serious, Gardos was also not considered fit enough to go to Holland with the rest of Claude Puel’s squad for three games in the space of a week.

The Romanian now faces a battle to get himself fully ready and prepared for the start of the Premier League campaign.

Saints do have another fixture already on the schedule after they return, against Athletic Bilbao at St Mary’s on Sunday, August 7, but Puel is likely to want to field his first choice side in the final warm-up match before the big kick-off against Watford.

Saints could do with Gardos fit and ready to play.

The club are keen to have two frontline choices for every position.

At the moment they have Jose Fonte and Virgil van Dijk as the first choice centre half pairing, with Maya Yoshida the only back-up in the absence of Gardos.

Beyond that it is younger and more inexperienced players such as Jordan Turnbull and Jack Stephens.

Saints do remain on the lookout for another right back but it is understood that they have no interest in Tottenham’s Kieran Trippier, despite reports to contrary yesterday.

Also, rumours that they are set to swoop for Monaco striker Valere Germain are understood to be wide of the mark.

Daily Echo: