SAINTS boss Gordon Strachan admits he is facing an anxious summer wait before knowing whether Marian Pahars will be ready to relaunch his career at St Mary's.

Pahars managed just five senior starts, plus four as a substitute, last season because of an ankle problem that needed two operations.

His last first team action, pictured above, came against Blackburn at St Mary's on November 9.

Now Strachan is sweating on whether the little Latvian - 42 Premiership goals for Saints in 112 starts plus 18 from the bench - will be fit enough to provide much-needed support for regular strike pair James Beattie and Brett Ormerod.

Strachan said: "Hopefully his problem has now been cleared.

"That would be a huge relief, because it would cost a lot of money to replace him, and to be honest we do not have that sort of cash available.

"If I had to go out and buy someone like him it would cost an awful lot.

"I have said all along that if Pahars had been available to take his 16 goals from the previous season into the one that has just finished we could well have ended up sixth in the Premiership."

Strachan added: "There was a big problem with his ankle, but now fingers crossed he will be available for the start of the new season.

"He was a big miss for us - 16 goals in fact - and that put extra pressure on the strikers we had available, particularly as Agustin Delgado was not fit to play either, which left Beattie and Ormerod to do all the work.

"With Kevin Davies having moved on, and with Delgado possibly not being fit, we do need to look in that area to strengthen the squad, particularly if there is any more problems with Pahars that keeps him out for the start of the new season."