The confirmation from Russell Martin that Kyle Walker-Peters will almost definitely miss Southampton’s trip to Birmingham City on Saturday represents a serious setback for the team vying for automatic promotion. Walker-Peters, a right-back, entered the game late in the FA Cup loss to Liverpool on Wednesday, but he was substituted off the field later in the half.
Walker-Peters, 26, is one of just five outfield players and one of only 13 players in the Championship to have played every minute of the season thus far. Under Martin, who joined St Mary’s only after they were relegated, he has scored a few goals. Walker-Peters has been essential to this Saints team that has hit since staying following the drop.
He won’t be very long out, tomorrow will be a stretch I think but it was really good news with Kyle.” Martin confirmed. “Hopefully [he’ll be] involved in one of the two games after that or both, but if not he’ll definitely be back after the [international] break so it was fairly positive news.”
“We want to go into that international break in a good place and feeling good about things, with good energy and good feeling,” he added. “We have a lot of guys that will go away on international duty and we want to feel good about the run in because after the international break that is it. There will be no respite, there will be no break, it will be full on and it’s so exciting.
“We’re already trying to work out the best way to utilise that break because there’ll be a little bit of rest needed for some of them after 11 games in 35 days, and ourselves as well, but also it’s a brilliant time to get some real work on the training pitch ahead of the last nine games. We’ll try and utilise it in the best way but I think if we can go into it in a really good place with a big week this week it will help everything in that preparation period.”
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