(Reuters) – Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuettl is sweating over the fitness of Danny Ings after the striker sustained a suspected hamstring injury in Saturday’s Premier League loss to Manchester City.
Ings, Southampton’s leading scorer with six goals this season, was withdrawn before halftime as the hosts failed to find the net and suffered a 1-0 defeat at St Mary’s.
The 28-year-old underwent a knee operation last month, which ruled him out for three games.
“We can’t say now. I think it is a hamstring problem,” Hasenhuettl said. “He stepped off hopefully early enough.
“I spoke to him before the game and let him take the risk of playing from the beginning after a long injury.
“I was really thinking about leaving him out today if it wasn’t Man City I wouldn’t have done it… Hopefully, it is not too bad.”
Southampton will be without midfielder Oriol Romeu when they travel to Fulham on Boxing Day after the Spaniard picked up his fifth booking of the season.
Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis