Cyle Larin, despite experiencing difficulties with his back on international duty with Canada, started against Portsmouth on Sunday.
The Southampton striker wasn't at his free-flowing best against Pompey, as he managed to amass just one paltry shot on goal, despite heading into the South Coast Derby as the Championship's leading marksman with seven strikes.
Tonda Eckert has been speaking on the Brampton Bagsman's fitness levels, ahead of the mid-week clash with Norwich City in the unrelenting second tier, with the German prepared to potentially rest the overworked number nine...
Could Larin be rested vs Norwich?
With the games coming thick and fast in October, the last thing Eckert will want to happen is for Larin to pick up a serious knock, as opposed to having a slight back niggle.
In the pre-match press conference ahead of the Canaries away trip, the 33-year-old did comment on the veteran attacker's situation, with Eckert liasing with the medical staff at the Saints as to what the best call is.
He said: "He did everything in the week to make sure he was ready for Portsmouth, and then he worked a lot for the team.
We need to liaise now with medical and make a decision."
The worry will be that Southampton aren't inundated with plentiful striker options, away from Larin leading the line, with Divin Mubama the likeliest replacement for the tired 31-year-old.
He has one Championship goal next to his name this season, and has underwhelmed in recent times when coming off the bench, but he might well have to do if the Canadian is deemed worthy of a rest.
There is another more unorthodox option Eckert could look towards to spice up the lone striker position, away from throwing the Manchester City loanee in, with a homegrown Larin-style poacher emerging in the youth set-up on the South Coast.
Southampton's next Larin could make a surprise appearance
Princewill Ehibhatiomhan is continuing to stick out as a goal machine in the Saints U21 ranks.
Against Queens Park Rangers last time out in the Premier League Cup, the 6-foot-3 youngster helped himself to two goals and an assist, as the R's were torn to shreds 5-1 by Adam Lallana's ruthless U21s.
In total this season, from just seven games, the clinical 20-year-old has an outrageous nine goals, and with Larin not fully at the races for the trip to Norfolk, by the sounds of Eckert's pre-match musings, could now be the correct time to launch Ehibhatiomhan into the senior set-up?
Ehibhatiomhan's blistering U21 numbers:
Stat | Ehibhatiomhan |
|---|---|
Games played | 64 |
Minutes played | 3462 mins |
Goals scored | 30 |
He did feature on the subsitutes bench earlier in the season against Birmingham City, without ever coming off it.
The hope will be that he would actually gain some concrete minutes at Carrow Road if selected again, with the three-time England U17 international clearly outgrowing his U21 environment.
He really could end up being the Saints' own homegrown Larin down the line, as while it's great that the Brampton Bagsman is firing home goals for fun at the moment, he is over the hill somewhat at 31 years of age, meaning the end of his playing days are in sight.
With a devastating 30 goals from 64 games for the U21s, it's clear that Ehibhatiomhan possesses that same natural knack for goalscoring that the veteran number nine has in spades.
The step-up to the first-team picture will be challenging for the growing striker, but the 20-year-old is surely due his senior debut very soon, with Daily Echo journalist Dan Hargraves stating earlier this month that Ehibhatiomhan should now be playing senior football.
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