The return of Danny Ings is great news for Saints supporters and Ralph Hasenhuttl seems to be just as happy !
The loss of Danny Ings for the last two months has been a blow for Saints but a blow they have managed to come through relatively unscathed and pull themselves out of the relegation zone despite the lack of a goalscorer of not just Ing's scoring prowess but his finishing power.
Shane Long and Charlie Austin have paid a part in our revival, but both have their weakness's, Long can run and hassle but can't hit the target, whilst Austin can put the ball in the net but hasn't got the mobility, but Ing's has both.
Therefore his return is almost going to be like a new signing for the side, the three week break has come at the right time, the striker could have been risked against Spurs but Hasenhuttl chose to take a gamble that paid off and rather than risk him pulling up resting him for a further three weeks, but now he is fit and raring to go.
Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl said:
"For him it’s important that he gets all the time he needs to come back.
"We try to build up his training sessions, the intensity step-by-step and not too quick.
"He played the friendly game for 45 minutes and we have to protect him from himself because he always wants to train more than he should do so we have to take the break.
"I think he is now in good shape and if it’s enough for 90 minutes or from the beginning I don’t know but if not he’s a good substitution.”
"It is for every player frustrating if you don’t play and especially for him,”
"He is very motivated always and wants to help the team and after this long break I hope he is back fit.
"He had time to work on his basics because he didn’t have a pre-season last year as I think the last three or four weeks helped him to prepare his condition.
"It’s important for him to be fit again and now he has eight games I hope he will stay fit.”
Hopefully the Austrian will be proved right, with a goal ratio of 7 goals in 17 starts plus his debut as sub on the opening weekend, when he is fit Ings scores goals, his ratio per game is a goal every 2.6 games and that is that of a 14-15 goal striker and to be blunt you don't get many of them who aren't wearing the shirt of a Big Six club.
Even his 7 goals this season leave him only 4 behind the top rated strikers, only 7 strikers outside of the top six have notched more than 10 and none of them more than 12, if Ings had been fit then he surely would have been in that group.
What we need him to do now is stay fit and maintain that scoring ratio, if he does that then an extra 3 goals could be vital and it is certainly a boost none of those down the bottom third of the table with us have the luxury of having.