Ralph Hasenhuttl has ruled out a couple of his usual Southampton starters for the visit of Arsenal on Sunday, due to various injury problems.
Armel Bella-Kotchap and Kyle Walker-Peters have both been regulars for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Southampton side this season so far, with Bella-Kotchap starting nine of the first 11 league games and Walker-Peters starting all 11.
Yet both are set to miss the visit of Arsenal on Sunday. Hasenhuttl has confirmed that Walker-Peters has a long-term hamstring injury, and Bella-Kotchap is also still out for an undetermined amount of time.
The good news for Southampton is that Romeo Lavia is back in training after his hamstring injury, though Hasenhuttl seemed to be suggesting he wouldn’t go straight back into their team.
“Roméo [Lavia] is back in training but after a long time out it will take time,” Hasenhuttl said. “It’s good to see him back training with the team.”
Southampton will also be missing Ainsley Maitland-Niles on Sunday, as the midfielder will be ineligible to face his parent club.
That gives them a bit of a problem at right-back, with Tino Livramento out for the long term, Walker-Peters joining him, and Maitland-Niles unable to fill in.
Hasenhuttl will need to name a player out of position against Gabriel Martinelli on Sunday, possibly James Ward-Prowse, who has experience on the right.
That would mean adding a couple of midfielders to the team to replace Ward-Prowse and Maitland-Niles, and Ibrahima Diallo and Stuart Armstrong appear the most likely to step up.
Possible Southampton XI based on recent lineups: Bazunu, Ward-Prowse, Caleta-Car, Salisu, Perraud, Diallo, S. Armstrong, Elyounoussi, Aribo, Adams, A. Armstrong