Southampton will not have a clean bill of health when they travel to Fratton Park to face Portsmouth on Tuesday evening.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game, as reported by the club’s official website, Ralph Hasenhuttl confirmed that Moussa Djenepo is set for a spell on the sidelines, and will, therefore, miss out of the Carabao Cup third-round clash.
He said:
It can take longer until he is back in the team, which is not really good for us that he could be longer out. It’s a very difficult injury because the tendon is a little bit hurt and it’s a big risk to take him on the pitch.
He still has problems with his muscle and he cannot shoot. It also can be that the other muscles take the function and try to make this muscle more stable but in the moment I don’t have a really good message.
The boss was also non-committal over the condition of Nathan Redmond. The winger returned to the team against Bournemouth after an ankle injury, but Hasenhuttl indicated that he might not be able to play the full 90 minutes at Pompey.
The manager delivered an update on his condition and said:
As you know, for example against Fulham, we did the same but that doesn’t mean that it’s the same squad that we played last Friday because we had a few players that we injured like Nathan Redmond for example and then you must look how he went out with cramps in his muscles on Friday evening.
We will have a look if it makes sense or if it is too much risk to take him from the beginning. Maybe he [Redmond] is an option then from the bench. I take the best possible team but sure, we will not be taking risks to lose one player for a long time because in the last cup game we had three injured players.
When my medical department says it is ok and you can take him, then I’ll do it but if not I don’t take the risk.
Should Djenepo and Redmond both be absent for the trip to Fratton Park, Sofiane Boufal will be the only natural winger at Hasenhuttl’s disposal.
Read Southampton’s verdict
Djenepo wasn’t exactly expected to be back in time for this game after he exacerbated his muscular problem in the 1-0 win at Sheffield United earlier in the month.
However, it was hoped that Redmond had fully recovered and would be available for the foreseeable future after he returned to the fold against Bournemouth.
His absence is always felt by Saints, and Hasenhuttl will be desperate for him to play some part.
The manager will, however, take heart from the recent performances of Boufal. The Moroccan has been Southampton’s brightest spark going forward and could continue in a similar vein against low-level opposition.
Stuart Armstrong and James Ward-Prowse may also be regarded as wide attacking options for the Pompey game, but the former is certainly better suited to playing in the final third than the latter.
Southampton need to play on the front foot, and overloading the hosts going forward will be essential. It’d be no surprise to see the likes of Boufal and Armstrong start.
