Toby Alderweireld confirmed that he played with a broken bone in his shoulder in the 2-2 draw against Tottenham.

The Belgium international suffered the injury in the defeat at Stoke a week earlier, but pushed through the pain barrier at St Mary’s yesterday.

“I have a small bone that is broken, so normally I couldn't play, but the desire to play was very high,” he said.

“I went to a specialist and he said ‘Nothing can happen, it’s only pain management and how far you can go’.

“So I did everything, I played with a lot of pain but, ok, I did my best to play and to help the team.”

Daily Echo:

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Alderweireld added: “Everybody wants to play, and last week I felt with my shoulder that maybe my season is over.

“So, yeah, I am happy that I just broke a bone and not all of my shoulder.

“The desire to play is very big and I want to help the team, even with pain.”

The draw with Spurs leaves Saints seventh in the table, still a point and a place behind their opponents.

Alderweireld said: “Of course it is disappointing but, ok, we worked hard as a team and we can be proud of what we did.

“Everything is open for European football so we will see.

“Of course we would rather like to have won, but all gates are open.

“We didn't lose so the next couple of weeks will decide whether we finish seventh or fifth or something.

“We will do our best. We are confident because of how we played and we will see next week.

“It would be very special [to get into Europe]. The desire is big and every week we give 100 per cent to win and to try to achieve that. It will be amazing.”