Yahoo News Russell Martin admission will please Leicester City as Southampton suffer injury blow
Southampton manager Russell Martin has hinted that he will not risk key player Flynn Downes in the huge game against Leicester City, with the Saints boss having one eye on the play-offs.
Southampton had dragged themselves back into the automatic promotion picture over the last few weeks, but a late defeat against Cardiff City last week dealt a major blow to their hopes of gatecrashing the top two. That result would have been cheered by City fans, with the club looking to take another big step towards the Premier League.
A win against the Saints at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday night would put City just three points away from securing promotion. They could even be promoted before they play again if Leeds lose to Queens Park Rangers on Friday night.
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The game against Cardiff saw Southampton pick up a big injury blow with midfielder Stuart Armstrong stretchered off in added time. He joins fellow midfielder Downes as an injury worry.
Speaking ahead of the game against City, Martin has given the latest on the latter, hinting that he may not risk rushing him back given Southampton’s situation in the promotion race.
"We'll wait and see because now the [promotion] landscape's changed a little bit,” he said in his pre-match press conference when asked if Downes would be available. "So, it's risk and reward I think with Flynn, we'll see if we want to rush him back fit.
"We also have other guys that need to get on the pitch and stake a claim now for the final stages of the season so we'll have to wait and see."
The Southampton boss also seemed to admit that his team may now have to settle for the play-offs at the end of the season. He could use the final three matches in preparation.
"The final destination doesn't change what we want to achieve and what we want to do, but how we do it might have to change a little bit,” he said. "I think these three games right now are incredible for us in any way it goes, whatever happens with other results, in preparation for what could be a huge three games at the end of it as well.
"So it's exciting, but it's also frustrating and painful and that's football. It was a really difficult game for Leicester on the weekend, but they found a way to win.
"They're still on track to get 100 points, so to still have some negativity there around that I think shows you how tough this season has been."
