Injury update on “brilliant” Southampton player as things go from bad to worse

Southampton has been dealt a significant injury setback ahead of their FA Cup match against Liverpool, with one player ruled out completely, as stated by Russell Martin.

The Saints suffered a surprising 2-1 home defeat to Millwall, a blow to their aspirations for automatic promotion in the Championship.

They are now five points behind Leeds United, sitting in fourth place, and the team must improve in the upcoming weeks.

Injuries have hindered Southampton recently, with Martin having to manage without several key players during a crucial stage of the season.

Ross Stewart, Juan Larios, and Flynn Downes are among those currently unavailable, affecting the squad's depth as fixtures come thick and fast.

Now, there's another worrying update about an influential Southampton player. On X, journalist George Rees-Julian shared Martin's announcement that Ryan Fraser has "no chance" of featuring against Liverpool.

"Russell Martin says Ryan Fraser has 'no chance' of being ready for Liverpool as he is on crutches after going off injured today."

More depth regarding the situation was also provided by Rees-Julian in an update for The Daily Echo, with Martin revealing te winger needed crutches to leave the stadium.

"It is a sore one. We will have to assess things. He took a whack on his knee. Wee Man comes off and we lost a lot. We lost a lot of running and threat of assists and goals.

"I've not got a clue at the moment how bad it is. He won't be available for the Liverpool game with the way he is. He is on crutches."

Fraser's absence for the Liverpool match is significant, but the broader issue is the potential impact on Southampton's promotion bid if he remains sidelined for an extended period.

While a loss against Liverpool at Anfield is almost anticipated, considering both teams' injury concerns, the Championship campaign remains the priority.

One hopes Fraser's injury isn't severe, but the sight of him on crutches after the Millwall game is troubling. He has been highly valued by Martin, who praised his contribution earlier in the year, stating:

"He was really good, really brilliant. He has such an amazing attitude and is a good example for the young boys. He’s been great coming off the bench recently, now Sam Edozie’s got an injury so Ryan has put himself in the frame to play from the start. As long as he brings what he does all the time then he will be a big player of us."