Southampton set to welcome key trio back from injury as they search for a first league win in ten at Sheffield United

Southampton are ready to welcome back a trio of key players ahead of their must-win clash at Sheffield United as Ralph Hasenhüttl’s side look to end a run of nine Premier League games without a win.

The Austrian said: “The injury news is good so far. We have a few players back in training. Ibrahima Diallo, Moussa Djenepo, Takumi Minamino and Kyle Walker-Peters are back in training.”

The south-coast side have been on a shambolic run of form which has seen them go over two months without a league win. Their impressive 1-0 victory over Liverpool at St.Mary’s on 4 January remains the Hampshire club’s only league success in 2021.

However, throughout this run, numerous injuries to a handful of key players have proved detrimental for Hasenhüttl and his frustratingly thin squad. A particular absence that has provided a significant obstacle has been that of right-back Kyle Walker-Peters.

The former Spurs full-back has made a fantastic impression since initially signing on loan last January before making his move permanent last summer after strong performances during the Premier League restart period.

This season, he’s progressed further under the mentoring of Hasenhüttl and has quickly become a vital cog in the Austrian’s system, as the 23-year-old’s performances proved key whilst Southampton enjoyed an impressive first half of the season, during which the Saints flirted with the prospect of European qualification.

However, a thigh strain suffered against Arsenal in the FA Cup kept the right-back out of action for four league games, all of which defeats, including the 9-0 loss away at Manchester United.

Prior to his injury, Walker-Peters hadn’t missed a single minute of Premier League action and the club’s inability to sign an alternative right-back after shipping out Yan Valery on loan to Birmingham City proved costly.

The Englishman did return for Southampton’s back-to-back clashes in the FA Cup and Premier League against Wolves, showcasing his importance in the 2-0 cup victory, and then suffering another injury in the 2-1 league defeat.

Another two defeats to Leeds and Everton, as well as a decent point against Chelsea have followed since Walker-Peters’ second spell on the sidelines, with Jan Bednarek being viewed as the best solution to cover the 23-year-old’s absence, despite having 20-year-old Kayne Ramsay available… a natural right-back.

The other aforementioned injury cases haven’t been as significant to the side as Walker-Peters’, with Liverpool-loanee Takumi Minamino only missing the 1-0 defeat at Everton on Monday night as a precaution and Moussa Djenepo taking a knock from the game at Goodison Park, in which he was one of few bright sparks for Southampton.

As for Ibrahima Diallo, the young Frenchman’s return will be particularly welcome as Oriol Romeu’s season-ending injury at Leeds meant that Stuart Armstrong was deployed in a central role alongside James Ward-Prowse on Monday night; it just didn’t work.

The Scotsman is much more productive and influential when deployed on the right flank, a creative outlet that Saints missed on Merseyside. As for Diallo, a prior injury and suspension to Oriol Romeu over the Christmas period paved a way into the side for the summer-signing which was certainly grasped with both hands.

At 21 years of age, Diallo displayed defensive dynamism in the middle of the park whilst also displaying a keen intent to spring offensive play into motion. The former-Brest man has shown good quality on the ball as well as being an intelligent reader of the game, a presence that will be greatly felt at Bramall Lane should the youngster start.

Saturday’s opponents recorded a vital 1-0 win against Aston Villa on Wednesday evening, despite seeing the dismissal of Phil Jagielka in the second half. The side from the Steel City demonstrated their steeliness at the back and ground out a hard-fought win, something that may prove a frustration for Saints on Saturday.

The visitors should, however, take confidence from the fact that they’ve won all three league meetings since United’s promotion in 2019, scoring seven times and conceding just once.

Chris Wilder’s side will still have to architect one of the Premier League’s greatest escapes if they are to survive relegation this season, but Sheffield United are rolling up their sleeves and putting up a fight; something that the Saints need to duplicate.

There’s no hiding place for Southampton Football Club now. This treacherous run has seen hopes of European nights swapped with the odd nervous glance behind their shoulders. Injuries, refereeing decisions, hard-luck… they’ve all been relevant excuses at times, but now isn’t the time for self-pity. It’s time to roll up the sleeves and graft.

The FA Cup will be a welcome distraction and naturally the priority, but there are still three Premier League games to be played before the trip to Bournemouth, two of which are certainly winnable on paper.

This team needs to start putting W’s on the form chart, otherwise, the daunting prospect of a relegation dogfight will become a reality.

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