SADIO Mane will return to the Saints starting XI this Sunday against the club who were heavily linked with him just a few weeks ago.

The pacy Senegalese star started on the bench at West Bromwich Albion last weekend after reporting back late in the week from international duty.

Mane had played for his country in the 1-0 defeat in South Africa on Tuesday, and had to be content with a second half sub appearance at The Hawthorns.

Saints badly missed the 23-year-old’s pace in a sterile 0-0 draw which was badly lacking in excitement.

Mané is expected to return to the starting line-up this weekend as Saints chase a first home league win over Manchester United since James Beattie’s late winner in August 2003.

Boss Ronald Koeman is facing a dilemma of where exactly to play him, though.

Mané could start out on the right flank, or Koeman could deploy him just behind lone striker Graziano Pellè, who was often left isolated at The Hawthorns as Saints’ midfield failed to give him sufficient support.

 

Mané has turned in some of his most impressive performances for the club when he has played in the role behind Pellè.

Mané was Saints’ most prolific scorer in 2014/15 in terms of goals per minute.

Though Pellè top scored with 12, each of the Italian’s goals took 277 minutes to nett.

In contrast, Mané bagged his 10 goals at an average of 213.5 minutes each.

Mané also provided three assists in 24 starts, plus six off the bench.

He already has two assists this term, having set up both Pellè and Dusan Tadic to score in the 3-0 win against Norwich three weeks ago in Saints’ last St Mary’s outing.

Mané is also the Saints player most likely to run at the United defence with the ball.

In Premier League games so far this term, he is averaging 2.6 dribbles per game – with Cédric (1.2) the only other Saint averaging one or more.

In 30 league games last term, Mané created 39 chances for his colleagues, in addition to his 10 goals and three assists.

That was the third highest, behind Dusan Tadic (68) and Steven Davis (49).

United boss Louis van Gaal was heavily linked with a move for Mané prior to the summer transfer window slamming shut on September 1.

Having splashed out over £20 million to sign the predominantly left-sided Memphis Depay, Mané would certainly have added to van Gaal’s options on the other flank.

But instead United had to make do, if that’s the correct phrase, with splashing out a world-record fee for a teenager – the £36 million they spent on Monaco’s Anthony Martial.