MARTIN Caceres might as well be riding in on horseback, armour glistening in the February sunshine.

Is the cavalry finally here?

Well, the Uruguayan defender could be Saints’ knight in shining armour.

Claude Puel’s side needed a centre-back in the January transfer window, but they failed to get one.

With Virgil van Dijk out injured and Jose Fonte gone, Saints had to act, but their problems were not rectified.

Back-up Maya Yoshida, youngster Jack Stephens and Florin Gardos, who has been out injured for the past two years and has just returned, are the only centre-back options Claude Puel has at his disposal.

It’s abundantly clear that it is not sufficient to keep Saints solid at the back – the 3-1 defeat to West Ham is testament to that.

While Yoshida and Stephens performed admirably at Liverpool in the League Cup semi-final second leg victory, the defensive performances since have shown a glaring chink in Saints’ armour.

The once solid pairing of Van Dijk and Fonte is no more.

Now, they look to a potential solution. A player of quality, undoubtedly, and one they need to come in and be ready for action immediately.

If the former Juventus and Barcelona defender is to do the job, he must prove that he is fit enough.

That is surely the main priority.

He may well demand wages of around £100,00-a-week, but with a trophy and potentially Premier League survival on the line, the money can’t be a major stumbling block at this point.

The 29-year-old hasn’t played a competitive game for a year. To be fit for Premier League action is a huge ask straight away.

But if Saints do land Caceres it could be the slice of luck that cancels out the “unlucky” (as Claude Puel labelled it) injury to Van Dijk.

If it does happen, it doesn’t feel like a normal Saints signing in many ways.

In the past they have come across highly organised, bringing in players that they have tracked for some time.

Each move is seemingly calculated and carefully thought about. No stone goes unturned and the word 'luck' rarely comes to mind.

This potential move for Caceres, however, is one that is borne out of necessity and nothing else.

With the transfer window shut, Saints' options are limited. There isn’t a bank of quality free agents that will add something to the side.

Although, in saying that, Vegard Forren, who was signed for £4m back in January 2013 and never played for Saints during his six-month stay, is without a club? Perhaps not.

However, Caceres seems to be a freebie that might actually add quality. That is a huge stroke of luck, if they can pull it off.

This move is one that Saints simply must do if they feel Caceres is fit enough and able to add quality.

Firstly, having lost six of their last seven Premier League games, Saints just need results and to plug the gap at the back.

On top of that, if Saints were simply meandering towards the end of the Premier League season and nothing else, then perhaps they’d be more inclined just to leave things as they are. Saints would likely feel they could get enough points with what they have.

But, Saints are heading for Wembley. They are heading for one of the biggest games in their history, with a vulnerable defence.

Surely, if Saints are going to end their 41-year search for major silverware, then bringing in Caceres makes every bit of sense.