MARIAN PAHARS could be in line for a shock return to the Saints side to face Leicester in today's Premiership opener.

An ankle injury requiring several operations has kept the Latvian out of first-team contention since last November, but the man who has been Saints' top scorer twice in the past four seasons is now back to full fitness.

Manager Gordon Strachan said: "Marian Pahars is back and that is a great bonus. It gives us a fantastic lift, it gives us more threat and gives us goals.

"He's fit and in contention. I don't think he has played a full game in ten months so we have to look after him, but it's like having a major signing.

"We are as excited about Marian as Kevin Phillips, Neil McCann and Graeme Le Saux. Marian gives us something different.

"The three guys up front, James Beattie, Jo Tessem and Brett Ormerod, did magnificent for us last season and now we have players who can take the pressure off them."

Pahars, who has scored 42 goals in 112 games for Saints, missed the pre-season tour to Sweden, but took part in the fitness camp in Scotland and lasted 79 minutes in Saints Reserves' 3-3 draw with Chelsea on Tuesday - playing a part in all three goals.

Last season Strachan sprang an opening day surprise by including Pahars in the team to face Middlesbrough.

Strachan could also deploy Anders Svensson alongside Beattie - the Swede scored twice in the 4-0 win at Leicester two seasons ago that remains Strachan's biggest league win in charge at Saints.

New £3.25m signing Kevin Phillips has not played any pre-season matches for Sunderland and is therefore unlikely to start.

Strachan said: "This is the strongest and deepest squad in my time as a manager. I've got some headaches and I have had to disappoint people already.

"We can improve, but it's going to be a hell of a job because once you get to fifth or sixth then you are starting to challenge with Liverpool, Newcastle and Chelsea and all the rest of them and that's some going.

"These are big, big clubs with big, big histories who have paid fortunes for their players

"It's far easier to get from eighteenth to top ten, than eighth to fourth, don't worry about that. That's the easy bit and this is the real hard bit.

"Everything we do we have to work harder. But we have to enjoy the other challenge of making ourselves better, that's the way we work."