Shea Charles could be on the brink of a shock return to the starting eleven after coming on as a second-half substitute in the 1-0 victory over Sheffield United in midweek.
Charles was arguably the standout player under Will Still, shining in a very poor team before being injured at Blackburn Rovers in October.
And it's quite obvious that the Saints' boss is a big fan of the Northern Ireland international. “We have Shea Charles back. What we always do before every single game is go through every potential substitute scenario,“ Eckert told reporters from the Daily Echo.
Eckert would certainly prefer to deploy Charles as a deeper-lying midfielder rather than the role he ended up playing on Wednesday night. Playing as a number ten, Charles was a little out of his comfort zone, but he did an important job for his team as the Saints held out for all three points.
A welcome return for the former Owls loanee
As a former Sheffield Wednesday loanee, Charles would have loved having the opportunity to influence the outcome of the match against United. His positive loan spell at Wednesday prompted Will Still to bring Charles back into the first team during pre-season.
Charles was an ever-present under Still and notched his first senior goal for the club in the away defeat at Anfield in the Carabao Cup. Of all places to score your first goal, Anfield must be pretty high up on most players' lists.
Sadly, Charles' injury has kept him out for the best part of three months, but he seems to have made a full recovery.
With plenty of midfield options available to Eckert, there is no need to rush Charles back into the starting eleven. However, the boss has made a point of giving returning players 60 minutes in a match if he feels they will have an impact.
Ross Stewart on Wednesday night is the perfect example of exactly that approach being taken.
One player who won't be pleased to see Charles return
The reintroduction of Shea Charles to the matchday squad could push Cameron Bragg back down the pecking order, which would be a great shame.
Bragg has looked like a classy passer of the ball, offering something different to Jander, Downes, or Charles in the centre of the park. Only the concussion that Bragg sustained at Doncaster has kept him out of the side for the Hull and Sheffield United matches.
Eckert should consider playing a midfield three, given the talent that Southampton possess there. Whichever two or three central midfielders miss out on Sunday, Eckert will have plenty of options on the bench.
Continuity might encourage the Saints' Head Coach to stick with the midfield duo that started against Sheffield United. Flynn Downes and Caspar Jander are certainly forming quite a formidable partnership in the engine room.
If that is the case, Charles could feature as a substitute, particularly if Southampton are protecting a lead. Bragg might be a different option if the Saints are chasing the game.