RALPH Hasenhuttl was unable to confirm or deny if Tino Livramento will require surgery but gave a positive update after the teen returned to individual training.

The 19-year-old’s “first steps” of his return have shown no new issues and he is training on his own, while being heavily monitored by Saints’ medical staff.

Livramento has a meniscus injury in his knee, which kept Hasenhuttl’s son out for a year, but the severity of it is not yet fully understood.

It has kept the former Chelsea academy product out for Saints’ last two matches and he will still not be making a return for likely some weeks.

However, the latest update is a positive one for Saints’ supporters.

Asked if Hasenhuttl has more information on the need for potential surgery, he responded: “No, we are looking from day to day.

“First steps in training now have shown no reaction from the knee, no new fluid and that gives us a little bit of hope.”

He continued: “But yeah he is not in team training so we will have a look from day to day.”

Livramento made his Premier League debut in August and then went on to play each of the first 18 league matches consecutively.

He was the first player of his age group to do that since Micah Richards burst onto the scene at Manchester City.

It has seen him earn England international call-ups at under-21 level, although he had to withdraw from that camp in November through injury.