SAINTS manager Ralph Hasenhuttl remained coy on the possibility of recalling in-form Nathan Tella from his loan spell with Championship leaders Burnley.

After a frustrating campaign hampered by injuries, Tella left St Mary's for Turf Moor on a season-long loan in the summer. Dropping down a division, Tella has excelled under former Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany, making 16 appearances and scoring six times.

It is believed that Saints have the option to recall the talented forward in January, but speaking on Thursday ahead of this weekend's trip to Crystal Palace, Hasenhuttl refused to say whether that was a possibility the club is pursuing.

READ MORE: Analysing impressive Tella loan spell and what it says about Saints future

"We will see what we do," the Austrian answered. "We have our eyes open and we will definitely look very detailed into what we will do with him."

Despite signing a new long-term contract with Saints last winter, Tella failed to nail down a consistent starting spot in Hasehuttl's side, starting a total of ten games over the course of the 2021/22 season.

With Sekou Mara, Joe Aribo, and Samuel Edozie joining the club's forward ranks this summer, Tella's route to regular minutes was blocked further and as such, the decision was made for the 24-year-old to head out on loan.

He has already established himself as a fan-favourite in Lancashire and a crucial element of Burney's promotion aspirations.

"I'm very pleased (with his progress)," Hasenhuttl added. 

"I know that some people say it's only the Championship that he scores goals but I must say it's still a big achievement.

"For me and this is exactly what we wanted to see - that he gets a lot of game time and can show his qualities. I mean he has shown it also in the Premier League so far. For him, it didn't look like he would get enough game time this season. But I think it was the right decision to take (loan him).

Burnley currently sit top of the Championship table with Tella second in their goalscoring charts behind only former Saint Jay Rodriguez.

A message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this article - we appreciate your support in reading the Daily Echo.

Subscribing to the Echo means you have unrestricted access to the latest news, features and Saints coverage - all with an advertising-light website.

You will also have full access to Saintsplus, your new home for Southampton FC tactical analysis, features and much, much more.

Don't take my word for it - subscribe here to see for yourself.

Follow the latest breaking news in the Southampton area by joining our Facebook group - Southampton News - Breaking News and Incidents

Follow the latest court and crime news on our dedicated Facebook group - Hampshire Court and Crime News