Russell Martin is still searching for his first Premier League point as Southampton manager, with the club losing all three of their league matches so far this season.
Southampton’s struggles are highlighted by their lack of goals, having only found the net once in their return to the top flight. That goal came from summer signing Yukinari Sugawara during the 95th minute in a 3-1 loss to Brentford, but it had no real impact on the outcome of the match.
Over the international break, Martin has been working hard to address the team’s form, but his preparations for the upcoming clash against Manchester United have been disrupted by the absence of ten players on international duty.
Southampton will open the Premier League weekend with an early kick-off against United on Saturday. Here’s the latest on the injury news for both teams.
Southampton could have three absentees for their upcoming match against Manchester United.
The good news for Russell Martin is that aside from those returning from international duty, he has just one long-term injury concern: goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu. Bazunu, who sustained an Achilles injury in April, is expected to be sidelined until well into the new year. Southampton addressed this issue by signing Aaron Ramsdale from Arsenal for £25 million on Deadline Day.
There are also two injury doubts for the Saints: **Kamaldeen Sulemana** and **Ross Stewart**. Sulemana has been out since pre-season after picking up a problem against Oxford United, and although a last-minute move to Ajax fell through, it’s unlikely he’ll feature against United even if fit.
Ross Stewart’s situation remains uncertain. The striker, signed for £10 million in 2023, has only made four appearances, all off the bench, due to injury struggles. Despite expectations that Stewart would play a key role this season, he didn’t feature in pre-season or the current campaign. Martin has emphasized caution with Stewart, so it’s unlikely he will be involved against Manchester United.
On the other side, Manchester United may be without Rasmus Hojlund and Luke Shaw for the clash.
Erik ten Hag has more injury concerns than Russell Martin ahead of Manchester United’s match against Southampton, with up to six players potentially unavailable.
**Luke Shaw**, a former Southampton player, is yet to play this season due to a calf injury. Despite being surprisingly included in England’s Euro 2024 squad, he hasn’t featured since February. However, he could be in contention to face his former club if there are no setbacks in his recovery.
**Rasmus Hojlund**, signed for £64 million from Atalanta last summer, is another major doubt. The young striker has been recovering from a pre-season hamstring injury, and while Ten Hag mentioned he would return after the international break, the exact date remains unclear.
**Victor Lindelof** is also a doubt, but he was unlikely to start the match. Meanwhile, **Mason Mount**, **Tyrell Malacia**, and new signing **Leny Yoro** are confirmed to be out, meaning Southampton will not need to prepare for their involvement.
Ten Hag’s squad challenges will likely have an impact on United’s setup against Southampton at St. Mary’s.
GET MORE NEWS ON LIFESTYLEROOM.NET
Leave a Reply