One of Southampton’s key players left their final game of the international break with an injury, potentially dealing Southampton manager Russell Martin another blow in terms of injuries.
How has Southampton performed thus far this year?
The Saints had a terrible 2022–23 season, finishing last in the Premier League and were immediately relegated to the Championship with only six victories and 25 points.
The South Coast club also lost some of their greatest players during the transfer season, most notably when they sold club legend c-Prowse to West Ham for £30 million, Romeo Lavia to Chelsea for £58 million, and Nathan Tella to Bayer Leverkusen for £20 million. These three sales, which together generated £156 million in transfer revenue, were made by the South Coast club.
Southampton is now sitting seventh in the rankings with 10 points after losing so many important players before the season began under new manager Russell Martin.
Although they have had a reasonably promising start, their 5-0 hammering by Sunderland, which terminated their unblemished start to the season, has been the most noteworthy event of their season thus far.
And it now appears that the situation for the incoming Saints manager could get even worse.
Who has gotten hurt in Southampton?
Polish defender Jan Bednarek left the field in the 34th minute of his country’s 2-0 defeat to Albania in the European Qualifiers, according to Daily Echo senior reporter Alex House.
The 27-year-old Saints titan was one of the Eagles’ standout players during the break despite the sad outcome.
His best performance came in Poland’s 2-0 victory over the Faroe Islands, where he finished with the second-highest rating of 7.8 on Sofascore, only below the game’s goal scorer Robert Lewandowski.
The defender, who earns $60k a week, moved to Aston Villa on loan last summer from Southampton, but in doing so, he infuriated the St. Mary’s supporter base by calling his new team “massive.”
How much of a loss is Bednarek’s absence?
Following his recall
It would surely be devastating for Martin and the squad if Bednarek missed Southampton’s crucial Friday night match against third-place Leicester due to injury.
It will be difficult to replace the £60k per week center back who has started every game so far in 2023–24; instead, recent summer signings Mason Holgate, who joined on loan from Everton, or versatile 19-year-old Shea Charles, who joined on a permanent deal from Manchester City but is typically a defensive midfielder, are likely to shoulder the load.
What a strong defensive effort Southampton put on at Stamford Bridge.
“For me, Bednarek was the best defender.
The Poland international has had a challenging season, but he has often put himself in danger and organized his defense.
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