Southampton centre-back Martin Caceres will almost certainly make his long-awaited debut for his new side this Saturday.
The Uruguayan was brought to the South Coast as cover six weeks ago, having previously been a free agent, but has been unable to break into the first team so far.
Now, with the Saints' options at the back immensely limited, it looks as if Caceres will finally make his first appearance when neighbours Bournemouth visit St Mary's this weekend.
An unlikely pairing
Had the Southampton faithful been told at the start of the season that, come 1st April, their team would be starting a Premier League game with Jack Stephens and Martin Caceres, they would have been forgiven for thinking that this notion was some poor April Fool's joke. However, after a campaign of constant change in the centre-back department, this duo is now the best combination the Saints have.
Following the departure of skipper Jose Fonte to West Ham, and the long-term injury to Virgil Van Dijk just days later in January, Southampton were left with just two available centre-backs; Stephens and Maya Yoshida. This eventually became three, with the arrival of Caceres in mid-February.
As of yet, Caceres has been unable to break up the promising combination of Stephens and Yoshida. However, following an international break which has taken the Japan captain halfway across the world and back, the chances of him being fresh enough to play on Saturday are minute. As a result, the stage is set for the experienced Caceres to fill the void and make his debut for the club.
Out of match practice
Despite boasting spells at European giants Barcelona and Juventus, as well as picking up 68 caps for Uruguay, it will be little surprise at all if Caceres seems somewhat rusty should he play on Saturday, since he has not played first team football for over a year.
The-29 year-old's last appearance was for Juventus in February 2016 but, following an ankle injury shortly after, was side-lined until his departure from the Turin outfit in the summer. Having only been offered a contract by Southampton a few weeks ago, Caceres could be vulnerable on debut, despite his impressive resume.
Manager Claude Puel will be hoping that his easing of Caceres back into professional football, through allowing him to find his feet in Southampton's under-23 team, will soften the transition back to the top level.
Busy schedule
After being out of action for over a year, Caceres could now face a sudden onslaught of games following his return. Following this weekend's South Coast derby, Southampton play twice again within the next seven days.
With the Saints having few alternatives at the back for the remainder of the season, Caceres is set to play a major part in their attempt to finish the campaign strongly.