Reuters reported that the English club Southampton striker Graziano Pelle is returning to full fitness, after missing four games due to a knee injury. Manager Ronald Koeman said that Pelle could be playing against Watford in the Premier League on Wednesday.

The Italy national team striker is the south coast club’s top scorer with 11 goals in all competitions.

Speaking to reporters at his pre-match news conference, Koeman stated that Pelle, aged 30, had been playing through pain for weeks, before he was omitted from the side after the 2-0 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur on Dec. 19.

“Maybe he did too many sessions on 60 or 70 percent and that’s sometimes difficult because then I believe you start to play the weekend also at 60 or 70 percent,” the Dutchman said.

“That was the big decision … to put him out to give him the time to recover and then he is back at 100 percent, and what he needs to play on his level.”

With his squad drawing up to full strength, the manager will be hoping that Southampton’s fortunes are about to change.
However, Irish Shane Long led the line during Pelle’s absence, scoring two league goals in the 4-0 win over Arsenal on Boxing Day and Koeman said he was happy with the strikers in his squad.

“Normally we played always with Graziano in front and we know his qualities, the team knows his qualities… (but) Shane in my opinion did it very well,” he said, quoted as saying by the club’s website (www.saintsfc.co.uk).

Pelle is described as a traditional “target-man”, with an eye for goal. He is a large, strong, and hard-working striker, who excels in air moves due to his height and physical attributes. As a center-forward, he is known for his powerful and accurate finishing ability using both his head and feet.

Moreover, Pelle is also known for his capability of using his strength to hold up the ball with his back to goal, creating chances for team-mates. All these attributes have led to him being compared to compatriot Luca Toni, the striker that brought in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.