Virgil van Dijk could make Southampton comeback this weekend six-weeks after handing in transfer request
Holland international has not played a competitive match since he picked up a foot ligament injury against Leicester in January
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VIRGIL VAN DIJK is braced to return from his Southampton exile and make a first-team comeback this weekend.
The central defender was desperate to leave the club this summer and pushed for a move by handing in a transfer request.
The Holland international has yet to feature under new boss Mauricio Pellegrino this season but played 90 minutes for the Under-23 side in a 4-0 thrashing against Aston Villa.
Van Dijk also hasn't played a competitive match since January after suffering a foot ligament injury against Leicester.
And after failing to get his deadline day move to Liverpool, Van Dijk could return to the Saints fold for their clash against struggling Crystal Palace.
Boss Pellegrino said: "Virgil was training well. He played 90 minutes the other day, the reserve game.
"But tomorrow (Friday) we will decide (whether he plays against Crystal Palace).
"Hopefully he will be getting better every single week but I am happy with that - not just about Virgil because everybody I think is ready to be part of the team."
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Pellegrino will be hoping Van Dijk can put his summer of uncertainty to the back of his mind as Roy Hodgson prepares for his first match as Palace boss.
When asked whether the ex-England bosses introduction will make it more difficult, the Saints boss was left unsure.
He added: "Yes and no. Yes because we don't have too much reference about them.
"We know how Roy Hodgson was playing in the past but when you have got another group of players, everything changes.
"An no because 90 per cent of our job is to think about us, about our style, our model."
