Southampton FC defender set to be given an opportunity to reclaim his place at Saints upon his return from loan next week

Bree, 28, is due back in training on Monday, having spent the first half of the season on loan at Championship rivals Charlton Athletic.

He is now one of three natural right-backs at the club, but has a leg up over Elias Jelert and Mads Roerslev, who were signed to replace him in the summer.

Unlike the Danish pair, Bree has played consistently this season and has pre-existing connections with Saints teammates.

“James Bree is a player who has played 90 minutes week in, week out, and he knows many of our boys; he knows the football club,” Eckert told the Daily Echo.

“I think it’s different from a player that comes into a completely new group. But of course, we need to get a feeling for each other. We will meet on Monday and see where we’re at.

“The nice thing is that I think with James, you have an opportunity. He can play as a half-back, he can play as a full-back, and he has now played as a wing-back a lot.

“There are not many players who have that profile and feel comfortable in all of those positions. Defending inside, defending outside, but also have the physical capacity to get up the pitch.

“I think that it gives us some flexibility, and then some of the decisions that follow up after, I think, also depend on how we manage to integrate that role.”

Bree featured in all 20 possible games for Charlton during the first half of this season, only missing the 5-1 defeat to Saints.

The former Luton defender is one of many players signed to a deal set to expire at the end of the current season.

He could feature for Saints again as soon as their Championship fixture against Sheffield United at St Mary’s on Wednesday evening.