Stuart Armstrong will miss Southampton’s Premier League clash with Liverpool on Saturday, according to manager Ralph Hasenhuttl.
The Reds host a Saints side who have won five of their last seven league games, looking to go 22 points clear of Manchester City.
The visitors will be without Armstrong, however, with Hasenhuttl confirming he will miss two to three weeks of action after suffering a hip injury against Tottenham in the FA Cup last weekend.
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This is a blow for Southampton, as I feel Armstrong has played a key role in Saints’ upturn in fortunes.
The 27-year-old has chipped in with recent goals against Leicester City and Crystal Palace, impressing alongside James Ward-Prowse and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in a midfield-three.
I think it is worth stressing that he hasn’t registered an assist all season, however, while an average of 0.3 key passes per game in the further suggests a lack of creative output.
In comparison, Ward-Prowse and Hojbjerg have two assists and one assist respectively, as well as 1.5 and 1.1 key passes, despite playing in a deeper double pivot.
Armstrong being out takes away some of Saints’ goal threat, but I still expect them to provide Liverpool with a real test this weekend.
In Danny Ings, they have a striker in great goalscoring form this season, with 14 league goals to his name. Liverpool may need to be wary of the 27-year-old, who found the back of the net against them during the reverse fixture at St Mary’s back in August.
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