Ronald Koeman has backed Jay Rodriguez to get back to his very best after confirming the striker will miss at least seven more weeks through injury.

Rodriguez, who sat out the best part of a year and a half with a serious knee problem, underwent surgery on a foot injury on Tuesday.

Koeman revealed that he doesn’t expect Rodriguez back for seven-to-eight weeks, but thinks the former Burnley man can still play a big role in the second half of the campaign.

“He’s ok,” said Koeman. “Of course he was disappointed about that final decision.

“I think it was only the solution to bring Jay fit again and he will start next week and be out for seven or eight weeks.

“We hope he will come back as a player to help the team because we need that kind of players.

“It’s difficult.

“It’s for the player by himself because it’s also a mental question of how you deal with that kind of disappointment.

“He’s strong and still young and he will come back and will be the player what he was, but he needs more time than everybody likes of Jay.”

Koeman has spoken to Rodriguez throughout his injury problems and is doing everything he can to keep him upbeat and positive at what is a disappointing time.

Rodriguez was just looking as though he was beginning to build up a base of fitness after so long out when the feet problems struck, and now he is back in the treatment room.

“I spoke several times with Jay already in the beginning when this knee problem takes more time than everybody was expecting,” reflected Koeman.

“That’s the contact to the player and the support to the player, and we do that, but it’s finally how the player handles that circumstances by himself.”

Koeman is adamant that Rodriguez is not done for the campaign, and does have enough time to recover from this problem and get back to full fitness to have a significant contribution in the last part of the campaign.

“I hope he can be a big part in the last part of the season,” admitted the Saints boss.

“That will be nice for him and good for Southampton.”