The Saints midfielder has not yet played for the Premier League club in 2019.
Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has spoken out on injured midfielder Mario Lemina, saying it is a pity he has not been able to return to training again.
However, the Austrian is optimistic that the talented 25-year-old will be back in action this season, even though it will be a gradual process to get him back up to speed.
Lemina has made 18 Premier League appearances this season (Transfermarkt) but unfortunately has not featured in 2019 after suffering an abdominal problem that required minor surgery.
As reported by the Daily Echo, it was expected he would have been back in action some time ago, but he has endured a series of issues that have hampered his progress.
“It’s a pity that Mario Lemina is not back in training with us as well, he needed a bit more time to rest,” Hasenhuttl told the official Southampton website ahead of Friday’s Premier League meeting with Liverpool.
“I’m sure we will see him again this season but it can be hard when you have a long break and try to train again. We want to raise the intensity step by step for him before we bring him back.”
Lemina joined the Saints from Juventus in the summer of 2017 for a fee reported by Transfermarkt as £15.5million, and during his time at the south coast club he has made 49 appearances, scoring once and assisting twice.
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