Southampton are three games away from the Premier League.
After finishing fourth in the Championship, the Saints have set up a play-off semi-final with West Brom.
The winner of that clash over two legs will set up a Wembley final with either Leeds United or Norwich City on May 26th.
Russell Martin will be desperate to take his side to the showpiece event and has the advantage of going unbeaten against each of the other play-off sides this season.
Southampton will need everyone to be at their best if they are to secure a return to the Premier League return at the first attempt and Martin has provided an update on one of his key players.
Flynn Downes will be ready for play-offs
That player is Flynn Downes.
The midfielder on loan from West Ham United is arguably Southampton’s most important player given the way he dictates the tempo for his side on the ball whilst offering protection to his defenders without it.
The 25-year-old has missed ten Championship games this season and of those Southampton have managed to win just twice.
Notably, one of these wins was a 2-0 triumph over play-off opponents West Brom, but Southampton will not want to be without such an important player as they approach the season-defining fixtures.
Downes made his first start in a month against Leeds on Sunday, having missed defeats to Cardiff City and Leicester City due to a knock sustained against Preston.
Southampton lost both of those games, as well as the Stoke City game that followed in which Downes made his return off the bench.
Martin has been speaking on the importance of Downes, who he also managed at Swansea City, and provided a reassuring update after the player made his first start in four games against Leeds on Saturday.
Martin said: “This team has missed him [Downes] so much when he hasn’t played. We haven’t been quite able to replace him when he has not played.
“I thought we all stepped up and Joe Rothwell came on at Leeds and was brilliant when Flynn did go off the pitch.
“But Flynn is really important and last weekend there were really important minutes for him. He got through it and now he’ll be good.”
Will Southampton sign Downes permanently?
Martin is a huge admirer of Downes and if there is any opportunity to sign the West Ham man in the summer then the Saints boss would be desperate to make it happen.
However, there was no option to buy included in the season-long loan agreement between the two clubs and with the Hammers likely to have a new manager in the summer Downes’ future is uncertain.
Whether Southampton are able to sign Downes could hinge on whether the club manage to achieve promotion.
Downes will have ambitions of becoming an established Premier League player after struggling for opportunities at West Ham; of whom he is a boyhood fan.
The deep-lying midfielder has also proven beyond all doubt that he is too good for this level this season, with Martin himself labelling Downes “the best in the league”.
Southampton’s priority for now has to be promotion. If they achieve that goal then they might just be able to wrap up a permanent deal for Downes this summer.