Ronald Koeman expects Shane Long to be fit for Republic of Ireland duty

Shane Long is on course to be fit for this month’s friendlies against Switzerland and Slovakia.

Long will miss Southampton’s match against Sunderland today with the knee injury suffered in Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth.

But Southampton manager Ronald Koeman expects Long, who picked up a hamstring problem against Chelsea last Saturday, to be fit to face Stoke City on March 12.