RALPH Hasenhuttl has been seeking advice from his German counterparts ahead of Saints’ potential return to training on Tuesday.

Hasenhuttl, who spent lockdown in Munich with his family, wanted to gain an understanding as to how they managed with small groups.

German football made its return over the weekend and showed other leagues it’s possible to play during the coronavirus crisis.

And speaking to the Daily Echo, Hasenhuttl revealed he’s been picking their brains.

He said: “I have had a lot of contact with German managers and I’ve asked them how they are handling the sessions, showering and eating together.

“It will be a little bit different, but it will be a small step back to a normality that everyone is looking for.

“This is what we all want.”

Premier League eyes would have been on the Bundesliga over the weekend – even more so now clubs have taken a stance against playing at neutral venues.

Teams in Germany will remain playing home and away but are adhering to strict social distancing rules.

Although there’s plenty of contact throughout the match, players weren’t allowed to jump all over each other when a goal was scored.

As well as that, substitutes were spread out and sat with masks covering their mouth and nose.

By speaking to different managers in Germany, Saints’ boss also wanted to find out how accepting the players were of the changes.

He hopes to use the advice when it comes to planning his own sessions with the St Mary’s side.

Asked which managers he had spoken to, Hasenhuttl responded: “I’ve been speaking to a couple of them who I know.

“They have been training for four weeks, even though there was a shutdown in Germany.

“I wanted to know how they are doing it, what’s possible and how the players accepted it.

“This is an experience I can use when I start planning my sessions in the next few weeks.”