Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl claims that Kevin Danso could get more opportunities at centre-back following the departure of Maya Yoshida.
Hasenhuttl says that Danso is most comfortable when playing at centre-back and that he could get more game time there between now and the end of the season.
Yoshida left Southampton on deadline day to join Sampdoria on loan for the remainder of the campaign.
Speaking to the Daily Echo, Hasenhuttl said:
He’s a young player and I know he always had to play a position so far that is not his best as a right or left-back.
He played one time [as a centre-back] in the Carabao Cup against Fulham. That’s where he is more used to playing.
Now, maybe in the future, he will have more chances as a centre-back where he is more comfortable.
READ SOUTHAMPTON VERDICT
Danso has only played as a left-back and a right-back in the Premier League this season, which makes it difficult to judge how he would perform in his natural position at that level.
He has struggled at fullback, recording the lowest average WhoScored rating in the entire Southampton squad this season – not including Yoshida, due to his departure. Danso has played six league matches, averaging a rating of just 6.12.
This suggests that Hasenhuttl should avoid playing him at fullback in the future and, instead, give him a chance at centre-back.
Hasenhuttl’s comments suggest that this will be the case, with Yoshida leaving, so it will be interesting to see how he performs if given the opportunity to play in his favoured position.
Danso is still young, at 21, but is only at Southampton until the end of the season. This means that he will need to make the most of any starts he gets if he is to stand a chance of possibly earning a permanent move to the club in the summer.
