Southampton boss Russell Martin could be dealt another injury blow, as one of his most important players came off injured during their final game of the international break…
How have Southampton started this season?
The Saints had a miserable 2022/23 season, as they finished 20th in the Premier League and were swiftly dumped to the Championship, after only winning six matches and scoring 25 points.
The South Coast side also lost some of their best players during the transfer window, most notably they sold club legend James Ward-Prowse to West Ham for £30m, Romeo Lavia to Chelsea for £58m and Nathan Tella to Bayer Leverkusen for £20m, in total, which generated £156m in transfer revenue.
Despite losing so many key players before the season started new manager Russell Martin has guided his side to a solid start to the season, as Southampton currently sit seventh in the table on 10 points.
Although they have somewhat started well, the most notable point of their season so far has been their 5-0 thrashing by Sunderland, which ended their unbeaten start to the season.
And it now seems like things could go from bad to worse for the new Saints boss…
Who has suffered an injury at Southampton?
As per Daily Echo senior reporter Alex House, Polish defender Jan Bednarek came off in the 34th minute during his nation's 2-0 loss to Albania in the European Qualifiers.
Despite the disappointing result, the 27-year-old Saints titan was one of the Eagles' stand-out performers during the international break.
His most impressive performance was in Poland’s 2-0 win over the Faroe Islands, where he finished the game with the second-highest rating of 7.8, per Sofascore, only behind goalscorer Robert Lewandowski.
Last summer, the £60k per-week defender left Southampton on loan and moved to Aston Villa but by doing so, he angered the St Mary's fanbase after he described his new club Aston Villa as “massive.”
How big a blow is Bednarek's absence?
After he was recalled from his loan in the January transfer window many Southampton fans were quite right to resent his return.
However, since his comeback on the pitch, he has been an integral part of the squad and heralded as one of Southampton's best players
This was confirmed by his Sofascore rating last season – as after rejoining in January, the "monster" – as once hailed by journalist and analyst Sam Tighe – ranked as the Saint's third-best performer with an average rating of 6.93.
His stand-out performances were also backed up by BBC pundit Garth Crooks, after Southampton’s 1-0 win over Chelsea in February.
He said:
“What a defensive display by Southampton at Stamford Bridge.
“Bednarek was the standout defender for me.
“The Poland international has had a difficult season, but put his body on the line on more than one occasion, organised his defence brilliantly and weathered everything Chelsea could throw at him.”
Bednarek’s injury could mean he misses Southampton’s massive Friday night fixture against third-place Leicester, which would undoubtedly be a gutting blow to Martin and the team.
So far in 2023/24, the £60k-per-week centre-back has started every game this season, so it'll be a tough task to replace him, with the burden likely to fall upon recent summer additions 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.
