SAINTS boss Ralph Hasenhuttl has wiped defensive pair Cedric Soares and Wesley Hoedt’s slate clean.

The duo are currently in Austria with the rest of the St Mary’s squad for an intensive week of pre-season training.

Both defenders spent the second half of the last season on loan after being shipped out by Hasenhuttl.

But the Austrian is willing to take another look at them and see if they have improved during their time away from the south coast.

Youngster Yan Valery was handed his Saints debut last November and then went on to dislodge the European Championship winner at right back.

This prompted the 27-year-old to realise his chances were going to be limited under Hasenhuttl.

Because of this, Cedric opted to join Italian side Inter Milan who have passed on their option to sign him permanently this summer.

During his time in Serie A, the right back made just nine appearances in a disappointing spell.

The Portuguese international missed Saints' first week of pre-season after getting married but reported for duty on Monday.

In a video released on the club’s social media accounts, captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg can be seen welcoming the defender back to Staplewood.

Although he missed the first week of pre-season, Cedric kept himself in shape over the summer.

Hoedt, like his Saints teammate, didn't fare well during his loan spell either.

The Dutchman joined Sofiane Boufal at Celta Vigo and got off to a nightmare start.

He was sent off on his debut for two bookable offences and then managed just nine more appearances for the La Liga outfit.

In an ideal world, Hoedt would be a player the club would like to move on but his inclusion in the Austria trip shows that Hasenhuttl is willing to give him a chance to force his way into his thoughts.

And it’s understood the defender, who cost Saints £15m back in 2017, returned for pre-season in excellent shape.

All of the players were split into different groups before taking part in the bleep test.

Hoedt came out on top in his group, outlasting the other players.

Having already bought attacking players Che Adams and Moussa Djenepo, Saints want to add another central defender to their ranks.

But, in the meantime, Hoedt, like Cedric, has been handed a second chance.