The three-player advantage that Southampton will now have after Leicester’s reorganization
The game that Russell Martin’s team was supposed to play, against league leaders Leicester City, would have been crucial in the promotion chase.
But this weekend, the Foxes are playing in the FA Cup quarterfinals. This indicates that the game against the Saints will now take place on Tuesday, April 23.
For those who lean Southampton, that will be a source of great frustration. They will not be able to capitalize on their recent back-to-back victories over Birmingham City and Sunderland because that game has been rescheduled.
Additionally, it means that following the forthcoming March international break, they will have a packed schedule of games, including one against Preston North End.
For those who lean Southampton, that will be a source of great frustration. They will not be able to capitalize on their recent back-to-back victories over Birmingham City and Sunderland because that game has been rescheduled.
They will also have a packed schedule of games following the March international break, and they will need to reschedule their match against Preston North End.
When they play this weekend, Leeds United and Ipswich Town will have the opportunity to close the gap on the Saints in the race for automatic promotion.
But for a few players, Southampton’s absence from action this weekend may actually be advantageous.
Here, we’ve examined the situations of three players for whom the Saints have benefited from the postponement of this matchup with Leicester City.
Kyle Walker-Peters was substituted out of Southampton’s last two games due to an injury sustained during their FA Cup loss to Liverpool earlier this month.
Martin had hinted that he would play again against Sunderland in remarks made prior to the postponement of the Preston North End match. But the right-back wasn’t in the match, so there might have been questions about starting him against Leicester City.
However, given the postponement of the match at King Power Stadium, Walker-Peters should undoubtedly be available for the rescheduled match. When this game finally arrives, it should be a huge boost because of how important he is to the team as one of their most dependable players with plenty of Premier League talent.
Ryan Fraser is another player that Southampton has recently been without. Since being forced out of the Millwall match at the end of February, the winger for Newcastle United, who is on loan, has not appeared in any games.
However, Martin did say that he hopes to see the Scotsman return following the international break. He should therefore be well enough to play in the match against the Foxes.
He could also benefit from his extensive top-tier and promotion experience in such a game. Fraser, in fact, has had a significant impact this season with both goals and assists, so they might look to him to make an impression in this game.
Joe Aribo, who played for Nigeria at the African Cup of Nations at the beginning of the year, has had a busy time lately.
After assisting his nation in reaching the tournament final, he has since returned to Southampton, where he has scored some crucial goals to play a significant role. Consequently, he has been subjected to numerous demands.
Nevertheless, Nigeria has not selected the midfield player for the forthcoming international break. This should indicate that he has plenty of time to heal from the past few months, both mentally and physically. That should therefore guarantee that he is ready to go once more and leave another impression for Southampton in the closing stages.
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