'We must support him mentally': EPL boss offers encouraging update on fitness of injury-plagued Scotland man

Southampton head coach Russell Martin has provided fans with a positive update on the fitness of Scotland international Ross Stewart after the player was forced off with injury on his first start for the club a fortnight ago.

Stewart appeared in the Saints starting line-up for the first time during their clash with Arsenal on October 5, having been plagued by injury for almost two years. However, he was cruelly forced off with a calf injury just 26 minutes into his comeback game as the south coast club fell to a 3-1 defeat at the Emirates

Former Scotland international and Southampton head coach Martin admitted he was “gutted” for the two-cap Scotland striker in the aftermath of the game, but was able to offer a more positive prognosis ahead of the weekend game with Leicester City. “It's not a long-term injury,” Martin confirmed. “We have to bring him back. The international break has come at the right time for him. He won't miss too many games.

Ross Stewart has been told he "won't miss many games". Cr: Getty Images. | Manchester United via Getty Imag

“We just need to, I think, support him mentally and psychologically more than anything physical because he's had one setback after the other. We'll do that. We have a brilliant group of people here, players and staff, to support him and he knows that. He knows he's loved and cared for.”

The Irvine-born forward departed Ross County to join Sunderland in January 2022 and scored 26 goals in his first full season with the Black Cats as they won promotion via the EFL League One playoffs. His goal scoring form on Wearside earned him a first call up to Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad, making his international debut in a 2-0 Nations League win over Armenia at Hampden Park. Shortly afterwards he suffered a torn thigh and, upon his comeback, ruptured his Achilles.

Stewart enjoyed a goal-laden time at previous club Sunderland, which earned him a £10million move to Southampton in August 2023. Cr: Getty Images. | Getty Images

That didn’t stop the south coast club shelling out a reported fee of £10million for him on deadline day in August 2023 but, sadly for Stewart, his injury problems continued at St Mary’s. The club had been slowly building up the ex-Ross County man’s fitness throughout the summer, which culminated in his start at the Emirates, before injury struck, but Martin believes the worst is almost over for Stewart as he backed him to make an impact at Southampton.

“I think he'll get through it at some point,” said Martin. “These setbacks will maybe still happen, but hopefully fewer and far between. But, yeah, he'll be supported in the best way possible.”