JASON Puncheon’s hopes of resurrecting his Saints career have been dealt a potentially fatal blow.

Almost a year to the day since he last played for Saints – in the FA Cup third round win over Blackpool – Puncheon returned from his loan spell at QPR to find himself training away from the first team.

Puncheon had been hoping for a Saints reconciliation, but there now appears little chance of that with another move away the most likely scenario.

Saints fans had wondered whether he would be welcomed back into the camp with the team struggling for form and having limited options for natural wide players.

But it seems unlikely now that there will be any making up.

The question for Saints is whether they will have altered their asking price for Puncheon, which has so far put off some of the clubs that have shown an interest in signing him.

Instead of cashing in and moving on, Saints have had Puncheon re-emerging after loan spells at Millwall, Blackpool and QPR all ended.

It means there is one less option for Nigel Adkins to ponder as he prepares his side for an FA Cup third round tie against Coventry at the Ricoh Arena, the scene of Saints’ last win on the road, two months and five away games ago.

Adkins faces an interesting dilemma in whether to pick what he would regard as his strongest starting team or to mix it up and give a few of his fringe players a run out.

The arguments for playing a strong side are that Saints don’t have a game for another week after the tie and, after some patchy recent form, a win – especially away from home – could provide a welcome morale boost.

On the flip side, Adkins will be keen to minimise the risk of losing more players to injury in the FA Cup when securing promotion has to be the priority with the club top of the Championship table with over half the season gone.

Most likely he will not risk anybody who is not 100 per cent fit.

Richard Chaplow is still definitely out but Adkins would probably like to give Jose Fonte a game to keep him sharp after missing the last two with a toe injury.

But he won’t want to lose his key centre half for any longer.

Steve De Ridder is also a slight doubt after a groin strain, as is Guly do Prado with his gluteal problem, but Morgan Schneiderlin does return to the squad after his one match ban.

Adkins has options to change things around in most positionswith the likes of Bartosz Bialkowski, Dan Harding, Ryan Dickson, Danny Butterfield, Lee Holmes and Jonathan Forte no doubt itching for a chance.

The primary focus will be with what Adkins does in attack with Rickie Lambert starting his three game ban for a red card at Brighton.

Much will probably depend on the fitness of Do Prado.

If he is able to start then the Brazilian is likely to be paired with David Connolly, but if he doesn’t make it either it will have to be all change.

Adkins has the choice of sticking with two up top and either throwing in Forte with Connolly, or even De Ridder.

Or he could opt to play somebody off of the main striker, with plenty of options for that role offered through the squad.

But, for all Connolly’s intelligence, he is not a physically imposing figure and the lack of a target man will have to mean a change in style for Saints.

Adkins also has to weigh up the midfield formation, having used a diamond at Brighton rather than the traditional flat four.