Make-or-break time for Southampton's struggling star after the international break

Leo Scienza would hobble off the Racecourse Ground pitch with a worrying injury during Southampton's 2-1 defeat to Wrexham just before the international break.

There hasn't been much said about his knock since, with the prolonged international break hopefully giving him enough him to rest up, and be fit, again, for the Saints' South Coast Derby with Portsmouth next month.

If he were to be out for a long period of time, the options available to Tonda Eckert down the left wing aren't the best, away from the standout Brazilian, with back-up winger Samuel Edozie actively wanting a move away.

Moreover, Lewis Dobbin has seriously struggled to fit in at St. Mary's since sealing a whopping £9m move to the South Coast, so Eckert won't be too keen on him being a stand-in for the silky 28-year-old.

Dobbin's struggles at Southampton

A lot would have been expected of the £9m summer recruit from the get-go.

Indeed, he was the club's biggest splurge by some distance during the frantic transfer window, with Daniel Peretz the only other real notable expense, at the £6m mark.

He hasn't looked a £9m player whatsoever since signing, with zero goals or assists coming his way from his opening nine Saints outings.

Dobbin's Championship numbers for Southampton:

The number 11 hasn't made a single starting XI in the championship since the opening day defeat to Watford, either, with only three minutes handed to him against Bristol City and Wrexham, as he continues to fade into the background, rather than being a first team star Eckert depends on.

Pockets of the St Mary's support have already become fed up with him, with many left questioning whether he will actually come good.

If Scienza is sidelined in October, Eckert might have to gift the underperformer more minutes down the flank, with it make-or-break time already for the expensive attacker.

It's make-or-break time for the £9m attacker

Southampton's initial gamble hasn't paid off, but patience is a virtue, as they say.

Indeed, Finn Azaz - before he transformed into the Championship superstar he is now on the South Coast with 14 goals and 14 assists under Eckert - had zero goal contributions next to his name from his opening nine contests, which is eerily Dobbin's current predicament.

Therefore, the below-par number 11 shouldn't be written off completely, but he will know that he needs to up his performance levels immediately, or he will be chucked to one side as a costly flop.

He does have it in him to be an exciting forward presence in the challenging second tier, having picked up 18 goal contributions last season for Preston North End, with this solo effort against Sheffield United sticking out as one of his finest goals at Deepdale.

At the Lilywhites, he was the main attraction, though, with this added competition at St. Mary's, as the aforementioned Scienza hogs the limelight, alongside Azaz and Cyle Larin, perhaps making him uncertain of how he fits in.

He needs to be handed more minutes to prove himself, and he would love nothing more than to score against Portsmouth, right after the break, to get the disgruntled South Coast contingent on his side.

If he can't find some form soon, however, he will just simply have to be put down as a pricey misfire, as he joins the likes of Damion Downs - who cost £7m - as another exorbitant purchase plagued with regret.

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