Southampton’s bid to catch Leeds United and Ipswich Town in the race for automatic promotion has had two significant blows in the past few days. Fresh from their defeat to Cardiff City on Saturday afternoon comes the news midfielder Stuart Armstrong will now miss the remainder of the season.
Southampton went into the weekend on a three-game winning run and while the top three were stuttering towards the finishing line, they looked to be heading there with real momentum behind them having worked their way back into contention for a top two finish. That is until Cardiff upset the odds and picked up a 2-1 defeat that leaves the Saints needing snookers in the battle for the top two.
With Leicester City and Leeds United still to play away from home, plus Stoke City at home, Russell Martin’s team face a tough run-in and must now face those games without the influential Armstrong. The midfielder was stretchered off on Saturday before leaving the ground on crutches.
“It’s his quad, it’s a muscle injury,” explained Martin when asked for an update on Armstrong’s injury. “We’ll do everything we can to get him fit for the Euros for Scotland. I think he has a big chance for that, I don’t think he has any chance of playing for us really. He has a big hope of getting in the Scotland squad because he’s been fantastic for them and for us this season and has been in every squad.
“I think there’s a realistic chance with the injury he has to be fit for that. So we will do everything we can as a football club to help him get there. It wasn’t as serious as we all feared but it is serious enough to keep him out for a period of time now where he can’t help us unfortunately.
Southampton play Leicester on Tuesday evening, with anything less than a victory surely ending any hopes of finishing in the top two even if it would remain mathematically possible. The result will be eagerly watched by Leeds United fans, with a Southampton win keeping them in contention ahead of that final day showdown at Elland Road while also keeping Leeds’ title hopes alive. A win for the Foxes would leave Leeds praying for a Leicester collapse in the final two games to have any chance of catching them.
