---
title: "Southampton midfielder Armstrong ruled out of Liverpool clash"
canonical: "https://readliverpoolfc.com/articles/southampton-suffer-armstrong-injury-blow-ahead-of-liverpool-clash/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Henry Jackson"
section: "Articles"
published: "2020-01-30T15:00:00Z"
modified: "2020-01-30T15:22:09Z"
---

# Southampton midfielder Armstrong ruled out of Liverpool clash

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](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/teams/southampton/scores-fixtures/2020-01), looking to go [22 points clear](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/table) of Manchester City.

The visitors will be without Armstrong, however, with Hasenhuttl [confirming](https://twitter.com/SouthamptonFC/status/1222876796737269761?s=20) he will miss two to three weeks of action after suffering a hip injury against Tottenham in the FA Cup last weekend.

### Read Liverpool Verdict

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](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/93677/Show/Stuart-Armstrong) 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](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/93677/Show/Stuart-Armstrong) per game in the further suggests a lack of creative output.

In comparison, [Ward-Prowse](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/105172/Show/James-Ward-Prowse) and [Hojbjerg](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/101859/Show/Pierre-Emile-H%C3%B8jbjerg) 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](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/91762/Show/Danny-Ings) to his name. Liverpool may need to be wary of the 27-year-old, who [found](https://www.premierleague.com/match/46623) the back of the net against them during the reverse fixture at St Mary’s back in August.