Southampton boss says Livramento may be out for the rest of the season

Livramento has been out for more than a year after suffering a severe ACL injury away at Brighton last April before requiring a second surgery on a hamstring issue at the turn of the new year.

And his much-anticipated comeback seemed to be going smoothly when he played 45 minutes for the Saints B team in mid-April.

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He managed to get through the contest unscathed but felt discomfort in the days following and while there was no indication of a new injury, Selles explained that the club will continue to be ‘very careful’ with the 20-year-old.

“After the game that he played for the B team (against Stoke City on April 14) he felt discomfort in the knees,” Selles said on Friday afternoon. 

“We had a scan and there's nothing that indicates there is any injury there. We just need to be very careful. He's a boy right now that is more than a year without being able to play football matches in the top level. 

“And the last thing that we want is that he will come back and have a reinjury. So that's why we are trying to be very careful with those moments. 

Tino Livramento in action for the Saints B team last month. (Image: Craig Hobbs - SFC)

“We don't know if he will be able to compete at the end of the season or we will just wait for him to restart with the team in the pre-season and make a normal preseason with the rest of the team.”

Selles and his side are back in action on Monday evening when they visit Nottingham Forest, in desperate need of three points in order to give themselves a chance in the fight to avoid the drop. 

Saints enter the weekend six points adrift of safety and without a win in their last nine matches, the season seems a near-certainty to end with relegation to the Championship.