Steven Gerrard is touch and go to be fit for a final St Mary’s appearance as Saints prepare for the massive visit of Liverpool on Sunday.

While the Reds take part in Europa League action against Besiktas this evening, Saints will spend the day working on the training ground, under the watchful eye of boss Ronald Koeman, as they ready themselves for a crunch game in the race for European football.

But it might well be that they avoid having to face Gerrard for one last time before he quits English football and moves to America.

The influential 34-year-old skipper, capped 114 times for England, has been ruled out of Liverpool’s game tonight with a hamstring injury and faces a race against time to be fit to face Saints. Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has indicated he will give Gerrard every chance to prove his fitness for the game at St Mary’s, but cannot be sure whether he will make it at this stage.

He said: “He won’t have a chance (for Besiktas) and we just need to assess on a daily basis where Steven is at.”

Raheem Sterling is likely to return in time for the game at St Mary’s after a foot injury.

With Liverpool also continuing to progress in the FA Cup, the Reds will have played twice in the past week and a half, while Saints have been kicking their heels and preparing.

Rodgers faced the inevitable questions about whether the Europa League - and playing on both Thursday and Sunday - would damage their domestic form, which has seen them lose just once in 16 matches in all competitions.

"I am not really thinking about that," he added.

"One of the objectives for us was to win a trophy and you will have seen from the efforts we have put into the cup competitions we want to do everything we can do that.

"This competition is no different, it is one we want to do well in.

"It is a tough game against Besiktas, a team very strong in their own country, with good experience of playing games in this country, but for us it is about taking a lead into the second leg.

"We are very confident in terms of our performance. In terms of the impact further on our focus is really on the next game and the players over a number of games have been absolutely fantastic so we want to continue with that mentality and performance level."