Southampton make the daunting trip to Manchester City this weekend and Russell Martin has confirmed that they will be without Will Smallbone, with Premier Injuries’ Ben Dinnery offering a likely return date.
Southampton prepare for huge Man City test
Saints have experienced a huge baptism of fire since their return to the Premier League, having bounced into the 2024/25 campaign fresh off the back of their Championship promotion success. They have picked up just one point from their opening eight matches, leaving Martin battling to save his job.
Last weekend, Southampton suffered their lowest moment of the season so far, blowing a 2-0 lead at home to fellow newly-promoted side Leicester City and eventually succumbing to a 3-2 defeat in stoppage time.
Next up for the south coast outfit is the worst possible game after that, with Martin’s men making the trip to reigning Premier League champions for a tricky test, made harder by the fact Yukinari Sugawara is an injury doubt heading to City.
In truth, the wider footballing public will be expecting a resounding home win and perhaps even a cricket score, and in fairness to Southampton, this isn’t the kind of game to properly judge them in. That being said, a big response is still needed after the Leicester loss, but some concerning injury news has emerged in the lead-up to kick-off.
"Outstanding" Southampton could miss more games after Man City
Speaking ahead of the City game [via SaintsExtra on X], Martin confirmed that while Sugawara is a doubt, Southampton will be definitely without Will Smallbone, who will be “out for a little bit of time.”
This is a big blow for Southampton, with Martin confirming that Smallbone had picked up a knock against Leicester, but now saying that his absence could be lengthy. Dinnery, a popular injury expert amongst Fantasy Football fans, has shared further details on the midfielder’s thigh injury, reporting a likely return date after the next international break, on November 24 against Liverpool.
The Englishman has become such an important player for Saints, featuring in all 46 Championship games last season, 38 of which were starts, with his manager speaking so highly of him, saying: “He’s a really outstanding footballer and his performances so far have justified why I wanted to sign him at Swansea – so we must have got one right. He will play in different roles for us as well. He really is a gifted footballer with some good Championship experience after last season.”
While Southampton have clearly struggled so far this season, Smallbone has still been a solid performer, averaging 1.8 tackles per game and completing 82.5% of his passes, so his absence could hurt the team.
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ByStephan GeorgiouApr 22, 2025
In terms of the City game, Southampton are essentially expecting a miracle, but supporters will be praying Smallbone’s issue is not as serious as Dinnery’s report suggests, hopefully getting him back for the ‘easier’ fixtures before Arne Slot’s men come to town.
