Southampton skipper Virgil van Dijk could be out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury, manager Claude Puel has confirmed.

The 25-year-old has been out since January with the injury - picked up during the 3-0 win over Leicester City - and gave some hope of an imminent return earlier this week by uploading footage of him running on a treadmill to Instagram.

Puel has admitted that he may not be fit enough to feature in the last eight games of the season, however, describing his injury as "long".

"It's a long injury," he told reporters at his weekly press conference this afternoon. "We will see if he comes back before the end of the season."

The news means that Van Dijk could have already played his last game for the Saints, with Chelsea expected to make a bid for his services this summer.