Premier League basement dwellers Southampton have been dealt a double injury blow ahead of Sunday's home clash against Premier League leaders Liverpool with keeper Aaron Ramsdale and central defender Jan Bednarek both ruled out.
Bednarek, who has been ever-present in the league this season, was injured while playing for Poland against Portugal last week while Ramsdale has had finger surgery.
Both are expected to be out for several weeks, according to Southampton manager Russell Martin.
🤕 Aaron Ramsdale and Jan Bednarek are set to miss "a number of weeks"
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) November 21, 2024
"They'll both be out for this weekend and a number of weeks," he told Southampton's website.
"Aaron has had an operation on his finger, he'll hopefully be back this side of Christmas. Jan, we spoke really quickly after the game. He was really worried about his knee injury. Thankfully the injury is not as significant as we fear, hopefully a week or two before Aaron."
It is hardly the news Martin needed with the visit of a flying Liverpool side who are five points clear at the top.
"They've been two of our best players all season. Of course it will affect the team and how it looks but others need to step in and take their opportunity," he said.
Southampton are bottom with four points from 11 games.
"We should be excited for the challenge and I think teams have shown in the last few weeks that you can pick up big results against big teams, good opposition, and we are going to have to," Martin said of the challenge of facing Liverpool.
"Our level of performance against teams at the top end of the table has been good on the whole."