Southampton have an outside chance of reaching the play-offs as things stand, and business during the January transfer window has done nothing to harm those chances.
Having retained Taylor Harwood-Bellis and strengthened their goalkeeping option, some might argue that Saints are in a better position to push on despite selling their top goal scorer, Adam Armstrong.
Also key to Southampton's chances is the form and availability of Shea Charles. An ever-present under Will Still, Charles has recently returned from a hamstring injury which kept him out for nearly three months.
Shea Charles injury was the nadir for Will Still
Charles' injury was picked up at Blackburn Rovers in October, when many of the squad were ruled out through illness, and Cam Bragg was forced to jump in a taxi just to make up the numbers.
That may have been the nadir for Will Still, a prelude to his inevitable dismissal a week later.
Since Still's dismissal, Shea Charles' replacements have applied themselves very well. Flynn Downes and Caspar Jander have cemented their positions in a double pivot playing behind three attacking midfielders.
Since moving to a back four, Jander has been given greater freedom to get forward, and at times, the shape almost looks like a diamond in midfield.
The return of Charles could create a selection problem for Tonda Eckert, but one that he should relish.
It would be difficult to find a stronger midfield three than Charles, Downes, and Jander in the Championship right now.
The best midfielder at the club
Charles is without doubt the best of the three and should be the first midfielder on the teamsheet, irrespective of the form that Downes and Jander have been in.
Indeed, Eckert should adapt the shape to enable him to play all three midfielders, particularly in the later stages of matches, when a 4-5-1 shape could help the team to see out matches more comfortably.
Like Jander, Charles is not just a midfield stopper; he can also get forward and score goals. He adds height defending set-pieces and can play as a centre-back if required.
Against Sheffield United, Charles adapted well to playing as a number ten, but the Head Coach quite rightly pointed out that it isn't his best position and that he would be unlikely to play there again in the future.
What is clear is that Charles should be starting games. Bringing him on late in games to help preserve a lead is a luxury that Southampton cannot afford to keep doing. Shea Charles is a starter and the sooner Eckert realises it, the better.