RALPH Hasenhuttl has revealed that he will make a late call on how much to use Tino Livramento in the Premier League clash versus Tottenham Hotspur tonight.

The 19-year-old full-back made his return following a meniscus injury in his knee during the FA Cup clash with Coventry City last weekend, playing almost 90 minutes before eventually being subbed.

The summer arrival from Chelsea made his full Premier League debut on the opening day of the season at Everton, going on to start 18 successive matches this campaign despite his age and inexperience.

His last league appearance was during the Boxing Day victory at West Ham, after which Saints had feared that the meniscus injury could have kept him out for up to a year if it required surgery.

Daily Echo: Ralph Hasenhuttl had earlier admitted that he wanted the youngster back ASAP (Pic: Stuart Martin)Ralph Hasenhuttl had earlier admitted that he wanted the youngster back ASAP (Pic: Stuart Martin)

Luckily, it did not, and now the youngster could be in line for a league return, too.

However, speaking ahead of the visit to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Hasenhuttl admitted: “We haven’t decided yet.

“It was definitely an impact for him in the first game (Coventry) and we have to be very careful with how much of an intense week we want to give him.

“That is the reason why we have not decided yet. We will have a look.”

Hasenhuttl had earlier admitted that the 90 minutes Livramento played at the weekend was probably too much, adding “normally he would only play 60".

It looks likely that Kyle Walker-Peters and Romain Perraud will start for Hasenhuttl tonight, with Livramento's freshness saved for Saturday at Old Trafford.

Saints looked like they would be counting the bodies after that pricey progression to the fifth round, with Lyanco now out for up to 12 weeks following a hamstring tendon injury and Armando Broja also facing a late fitness check – for a knee injury which many feared was more serious.

Daily Echo: Armando Broja also faces a race for fitness (Pic: Stuart Martin)Armando Broja also faces a race for fitness (Pic: Stuart Martin)

The match followed a two-week break short winter break for the top division, which seemed only to hinder the Premier League side while the Championship outfit were in full flow.

Saints now face a tough schedule with Tottenham and Manchester United away within 62 hours of each other, but Hasenhuttl was posed with the question whether being in a flow and finding rhythm is actually more important than rest and recovery.

“This is not a team that tries to dominate you with possession,” Hasenhuttl responded, referring to Antonio Conte’s Spurs.

Daily Echo: Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte (Pic: PA)Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte (Pic: PA)

“They are much more dangerous with their counter-attacks and will often give you possession and kill you with counter-attacks. This makes them dangerous, and it is no different when they are playing at home.

“They are not keen to dominate you, but that does not make it any easier to win against them.”

He continued: “We were very aggressive in the first game against them and it worked quite well until we had the red card, so we have to find a good balance.

“It is a game where small things can decide. We need to have a good start and the quality to keep them away from our goal.”