Southampton have endured a tough period of late in the Championship promotion race.
Following a 2-1 defeat to Millwall at St Mary’s on Saturday, they have now lost three of their last four games.
That has seen them drop to fourth in the Championship table, five points adrift of the automatic promotion places.
Anoter concern to emerge from that loss at the weekend, was an injury suffered by Ryan Fraser.
Indeed, that is a setback that now looks as though it could keep the Southampton man out of action for some time.
Russell Martin confirms Ryan Fraser ‘blow’
Having returned to the starting lineup for Saturday’s clash with Millwall, Fraser did not last long in that game.
The Newcastle United loanee was forced off just 19 minutes into the match being replaced by Sam Edozie.
Fraser now looks as though he will miss several weeks for Southampton. However, he will remain around St Mary’s during that period, rather than returning to his parent club.
Providing an update on Fraser after that injury, Saints boss Russell Martin was quoted by Daily Echo journalist Alfie House as saying: “Ryan Fraser is going to be out for a little bit of time which is a blow. We hope to have him back the other side of the international break. He will stay here for treatment and be around the dressing room. We lose something when he doesn’t play. He will play a big part in the run-in for us.”
Next up for Southampton is a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Wednesday night.
After that, they are also due to face Birmingham City, Preston North End, Sunderland and Leicester City prior to Fraser’s potential return after the international break.
Ryan Fraser will be a big miss for Southampton
The absence of Fraser does feel like it will be a significant blow for Southampton in the next few weeks.
Since joining on loan in the summer, he has made a big impact for Martin’s side.
In 32 appearances in all competitions, he has scored eight goals and provided three assists for the Saints.
That goes to highlight the impact he can have for Southampton, and at 30-years-old, he brings some valuable experience to this side as well.
It is also worth noting that the Saints are set to play several of those who are also targeting promotion or the play-offs while Fraser looks set to be unavailable.
There therefore, are not going to be easy games for which they are missing him. In turn, that could make it harder for the Saints to pick up those all important points.
One positive of this though, is that he is set to remain with the club for his recovery. As a result, his influence may still be felt behind the scenes, and the fact he wants to stay may bode well for any hopes Southampton have of making Fraser’s loan permanent in the summer.