Fears are growing that Morgan Schneiderlin may have played his last game for Saints.

The French midfielder has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with knee ligament damage sustained in last weekend’s draw with Tottenham.

Schneiderlin does not require surgery but the four-to-five week recovery period has ended his campaign.

A host of big clubs are circling for Schneiderlin, who came close to leaving last summer before being convinced by Ronald Koeman to give it another campaign at St Mary’s.

After seven years of stellar service to the club few fans would begrudge him a move this summer if a great opportunity came along and Koeman himself admitted it will be harder to hang on to him than last summer.

“It’s more difficult, it’s more difficult,” said the Saints boss, who confirmed that as yet there have been no serious bids for Schneiderlin’s services.

“I understand, because I got the possibilities to change the team and to go to a big team from Holland – to Barcelona at that time – but I understand, it’s difficult.

“We try, we try, but we try to keep him longer than he is normally, and that is for the rest of the players as well – we do everything.

“But there is a stop that we can’t do more and then it’s all about the decision of the player.”