Southampton crisis for Chelsea explained as 10 players could miss Premier League clash

Southampton boss Russell Martin has four suspended players to add to his long list of potential absentees against Chelsea on Wednesday.

The Saints, rooted to the foot of the Premier League, already have seven injury concerns including two of his goalkeepers; Aaron Ramsdale and Gavin Bazunu. The duo, along with Adam Lallana, are not expected back for midweek.

Loanee Lesley Ugochukwu has played in the last three league matches for Southampton but will not be able to play against parent club Chelsea due to Premier League transfer rules. And now, three others are also barred from taking part.

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Tyler Dibling has been a bright revelation for the club this season but his yellow card against Brighton & Hove Albion on Friday means he now has five cautions for the season and is required to serve a one-match ban.

Likewise, key starters Flynn Downes and Taylor Harwood-Bellis also picked up their fifth bookings of the Premier League campaign against the Seagulls and will sit out the visit of Chelsea.

In better news for manager Martin, star defender Jan Bednarek is set to be in the squad against Chelsea but it is unclear how fit he will be to play any minutes. Ebere Onuachu is also set to return but Ross Stewart, Juan Larios and Will Smallbone all miss out.

As for Chelsea, Enzo Maresca only has two injury concerns with Reece James and Wesley Fofana both sidelined with hamstring problems for the foreseeable future.

On Fofana’s muscle setback, Maresca said: “These kind of things usually require three four, five weeks. In this moment, we lose him for 10 or 12 games. In the way he was playing, it is a big loss for us but we have more players and we can find a solution."

And for James, he added: "It is complicated when you [Reece James] get injury, injury, injury again. It is not easy so you are always looking for a solution.

"Probably the solution with Reece is the same solution we are using with Romeo [Lavia] and Wes in terms of using them just once a week, in one game, because probably in this moment, Reece's body cannot play twice a week.

“One of the solutions is probably to try and manage him in the same way we are doing with Wes and Romeo."