Southampton manager Russell Martin has delivered his verdict on Ross Stewart, saying that his return for the under-21s is a ‘huge moment’.
Stewart made the move to the South Coast in the summer transfer window but is yet to make his first team appearance for the club after recovering from an Achilles tendon injury.
He picked up his knee injury back in January whilst at his former club Sunderland and has slowly been recovering since.
On Friday night he made an appearance for the under-21s against his former club’s under-21s, scoring Saints only goal as they lost 2-1.
Martin delivers verdict on 27-year-old’s return
Speaking to Hampshire Live, Martin said that it was a big step in his road to recovery.
“Firstly, it is a huge moment for him as a person because he has been out for a long time and anyone can see how hard he has worked since he has been here.
“I have no doubt that he had the same mentality when he was at Sunderland to try and get fit. He has had a couple of setbacks along the way which is to be expected with such a long-term injury.
“For him as a lad and a person, I am really delighted. Selfishly for us as a group of coaches and a squad, it is a brilliant moment for us because he is going to contribute a lot. I don’t think we should expect too much too soon from him. He has been out a long while.”
On Stewart’s goal for the Under-21s, Martin added: “It is a goal that is typical of him. He runs to the box, attacks it and it is a great finish. I am sure that will get supporters excited and expecting a lot. I think we have to be patient. It will be really nice to get him back before the international break. Hopefully, now he has a good week training with us and we can include him in the squad next week.”
Having Stewart back would add another dimension to Saints’ attack
It will be amazing for Martin to have Stewart in contention sooner rather than later.
The 27-year-old only has had half a season at Championship level, that being last season for the Black Cats, but showed his quality with 13 goal contributions in as many Championship games, with ten of those being goals.
Stewart will add a different dimension to Martin’s attack, with Stewart’s height any physicality that could be pivotal for Saints’ possession-based style of play.
It would help when, if Saints need to go long’ Stewart is there to win the knockdowns and start attacks from there, something they have not been able to do with Adam Armstrong at striker.
They just need to make sure to be patient and not rush anything when it comes to his recovery, as they won’t want him suffering a similar injury too soon.