IT SAINT LOOKING GREAT
Injuries to key players Hasen done Ralph any favours
MISSING SAINTS Nathan Redmond, Oriol Romeu and star striker Danny Ings
SOUTHAMPTON have been hit by an injury crisis for the festive period which threatens to derail their fine start to the season.
Top scorer Danny Ings is unlikely to play against Fulham on Boxing Day because of a hamstring injury, and Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl now faces the prospect of being without three other key players.
Midfielder Oriol Romeu is suspended, with centre back Jannik Vestergaard and winger Nathan Redmond doubtful.
Vestergaard has a knee injury and Redmond a hip problem.
Scotland midfielder Stuart Armstrong hurt a hand in training yesterday, but is expected to recover in time.
Hasenhuttl (above), whose team are seventh in the Premier League table going into the game against struggling Fulham, said: “We have some issues after the very intense week we have had, with three games in six days. Some guys are struggling.
“Some of them have not trained – Danny, Jannik, Nathan.
“We have a few issues and we will have to have a look at them over the next tow to three days. Stuart should be all right for the weekend.
“It’s never nice if you have injury problems, whoever it is. I don’t have to tell you how important Jannik has been for us over the last few games – he has had issues with his knee, he felt a bit of fluid.
“He is normally a player where pain does not stop him playing – we are still scanning him. Hopefully he is not out for too long.
“With Danny we don’t know how long he will be out for, if he is ready for the weekend.
“We have to have a look. But nobody can play a Premier League game without training during the week, so time is running out.
“With Nathan it is a muscle problem. He is not that stable in the hips. He had problems after the last game, and he is carrying some problems from the summer.”
I n g s returned to action at the beginning of December having been out for a month with knee trouble, but injured a hamstring during the defeat by Manchester City on Saturday.
Hasenhuttl is set to give £11million France Under-21 midfielder Ibrahima Diallo his first start for the club after his move from Brest during the summer.