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# Eckert details team selection plan for Eastleigh; Roerslev starts | Daily Echo

- **Source:** 
- **Published:** 18 Jul
- **Club:** Southampton
- **Original URL:** https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/26291051.eckert-gives-roerslev-update-ahead-southamptons-eastleigh-friendly/?ref=rss

TONDA Eckert said the return of Mads Roerslev feels like a new signing as the Dane prepares for his first action in a Saints shirt for eight months.

The Saints head coach will take his team to local National League outfit Eastleigh for their annual pre-season friendly against the Spitfires tonight.

Roerslev is set to start the 7.45pm fixture at Silverlake Stadium, in his first appearance since surgery to resolve his persistent Achilles discomfort.

Saints will take a strong squad to the fifth-tier opposition, with Eckert eager to put on a show for the supporters making the short trip to the ground.

Eckert, in a new interview with the Daily Echo, revealed that he will play two XIs for 45 minutes each, with the one exception of right-back Roerslev.

"Mads is the only player who will play only 30 minutes, so he'll start the game, have a proper warm-up and then play the first half an hour," he said.

Prepped for a pre-season matchday 🔜

— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) July 17, 2026

"It's nice that he is back. After half a year of being away, that's a very good step forward. He had pain for a longer time but wanted to push through.

"At one point, it was just best to get surgery properly. He needs to find his rhythm now, like it always is when you come off the back of an injury.

"But he looks good in training. It's so nice for him, sometimes you appreciate the small things even more if you've been out for a long time.

"He has said how happy he is. We have a training session in the morning to go through some set pieces, and then we will go on the coach.

"We will go to the hotel, we go back to the ground, you come out for the warm-up, and it's all of those small bits that lead up to a game.

"You appreciate them even more if you haven't had them in a long time and you just see the excitement that he has coming out to the game for."

Roerslev signed a four-year deal at Saints after moving from Brentford last summer but was limited to just nine Championship appearances.

The match at Eastleigh will be Southampton's sole pre-season friendly on home soil, with two friendlies in Germany the only further fixtures scheduled.

Eckert's side face Eintracht Braunschweig and Preußen Münster on Friday, July 24, and Saturday, August 1, during the training camp in Germany.

A Carabao Cup tie at League Two Colchester United on Saturday, August 8, will come before the opening league clash at Watford eight days later.

"We just want to show that we are back because this weekend's friendly is the only game that we have in front of our home supporters," said Eckert.

"St Mary's is not ready yet to play, so it's a smaller stadium but still it's a big game for us and then we go on pre-season and have some away games.

"Until the Stoke game, it's the only chance we have to play in front of a home crowd, so I'm sure the supporters will see that we are back and ready to go."