Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl is challenging Ibrahima Diallo to prove himself.
Diallo must now "grab the chance with both hands" to convince the coaching staff he's worthy of a starting berth more regularly, Hasenhuttl explained.
"It was always tough for him, with Ori (Oriol Romeu) and Prowsey (James Ward-Prowse), if they are fit they are quite settled in the first eleven. For him it was hard to step in. But I must say, he's showed in a lot of games how much quality he has," said the manager.
"He has to be in some moments a little bit more clinical, a little bit more serious. Then his dual up front can be a better one. Some things to improve still for his game, but I think the total package is a good one.
"Especially his physical qualities, I'm absolutely convinced that he's a Premier League player on a good level and now he has the chance to show it. Hopefully he does.
"He's had a few chances to play, in the cup he scored and did a good job. So he's definitely a player that can show more, and he must grab the chance for the next three games with both hands."
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