Southampton welcome League Two opposition to St Mary’s on Saturday in the form of Walsall, with manager Russell Martin expected to ring the changes for the FA Cup clash.
Southampton suffered embarrassment earlier in the season as they crashed out of the Carabao Cup to Gillingham – also in League Two – so, whilst Martin‘s focus is unquestionably Championship promotion, he will not want to suffer the same fate.
Key players will be rested, with the likes of Kyle Walker-Peters, Adam Armstrong and Gavin Bazunu expected to make way to allow players who have been on the fringes to get some much needed game-time.
Sam Edozie has been ruled out until February so will also miss out, but on loan Mason Holgate could return following injury despite his uncertain future.
One player who will be desperately looking to impress and show he can play a much bigger role this season is 21-year-old striker Sekou Mara, with League Two opposition perhaps the perfect way to get the goals flowing for the Frenchman.
Sekou Mara must show Russell Martin he can have big impact
Mara has flattered to deceive in his Southampton career so far, with the Saints having beaten a number of sides to his signature when he signed for £11 million in the summer of 2022.
He is clearly a very talented footballer with good technical ability but has struggled to establish himself at the club under four different managers and has only scored three goals in his 45 Southampton appearances.
Speaking on Mara earlier in the season, Martin said: “He is a young player who hasn’t had a lot of experience on the pitch yet but he is going to be great for us in the long term”.
Mara has performed well when coming off the bench recently, particularly against Blackburn Rovers where he scored one and won a penalty, but it is time for the France under-21 international to turn bright cameos into a meaningful impact from the start. Whilst a good performance against Walsall will not necessarily mean he is ready to be the leading man on a weekly basis in the Championship, it could act as a springboard and give the young striker confidence moving forward.
With Ross Stewart set to miss the majority of the season – if not all of it – and Che Adams potentially leaving this month with his contract expiring in the summer, Mara will need to step up to the plate and show he can support 13 goal Adam Armstrong.
It is the time for Mara to show his manager that he can be an important player for Southampton now, not just in the long term.