SAINTS midfielder Charly Alcaraz has been given a glowing review by manager Nathan Jones following the Argentinian’s first start since arriving at the club.

Joining Saints from Racing Club earlier this month, Alcaraz came off the bench at Everton for his debut before earning his maiden start in the midweek League Cup semi-final first leg clash with Newcastle United.

And while Saints ended up on the losing side to present themselves with a mountain to climb next week at St James Park, Alcaraz’s all-action display was a major positive for Jones in the 1-0 defeat.

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“I thought Mislav (Orsic) was a little bit off it,” Jones told official club media. “Because he hasn’t played much but Charly (Alcaraz) I thought was phenomenal in terms of everything he did. 

“I thought he was wonderful tonight, I’m really excited about him,” Jones added.

It represents a real step forward for Alcaraz after his debut at Everton came with far more rough edges.

Speaking about Alcaraz after Saints' 2-1 win at Goodison Park, Jones said: “He’ll get better. I don't think he suddenly pulled up any trees with his performance today.  

“But he only arrived late on Tuesday night after being stuck on the M3 and then did his medicals all day Wednesday. He watched us play Manchester City and then did a little session on Thursday and then he’s into a Premier League game.

“It’s quite a story and I didn't envisage putting him on for so long but we felt we’ve got to get him up to speed which was a brave decision considering the magnitude of the game. We feel that once he gets up to speed we will see a real quality player.”

Still just 20-years-old, Alcaraz followed through on Jones's prediction with a much-improved display in his second Saints appearance, impressing those at St Mary’s with his calm decision-making on the ball and tenacious chasing without it.

Competition in Jones’s midfield has ramped up in recent weeks with James Ward-Prowse’s move further forward providing increased opportunities for Ibrahima Diallo.

Meanwhile, Romeo Lavia was surprisingly excluded from Jones’s starting XI against Newcastle and Ainsley Maitland-Niles has only started once in the Premier League since the former Luton boss replaced Ralph Hasenhuttl in November.

Saints are next in action on Saturday when they host Blackpool in the FA Cup third round and with the second leg of their League Cup semi-final coming just 72 hours later, it could be the perfect chance for Jones to rotate his team.

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