Léo Scienza will be desperate to play in tomorrow's FA Cup quarter-final against Arsenal at St Mary's, but any contribution he makes may have to come from the bench.
When Scienza hobbled off at the Hawthorns against West Bromwich Albion, it looked like an injury the Brazilian might be able to shake off quickly. But, despite the international break coming at a good time for Scienza, he has only recently returned to training, and the Arsenal match may have come just too soon for Scienza to be fully involved.
Why St Mary's could have a Samba feel on Saturday
If Scienza is fit, the match against the Gunners could give the charismatic Brazilian the chance to pit his skills against a trio of his fellow countrymen. Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Jesus, and Gabriel Martinelli are tipped to be in the Arsenal lineup at St Mary's.
Today, Tonda Eckert said exactly what fans wanted to hear. Léo Scienza is back in full training and back on the pitch. His fitness is “good“, and he is looking “positive.“
Speaking to the press ahead of the Arsenal match, Southampton's young coach was positive about his star player's fitness. “[His fitness is] Good. He's put a lot of work into the break because he's desperate to come back. He was on the pitch today with the boys, and he's looking positive.“
But Eckert has not been keen to risk Scienza, and he's not afraid to make unpopular big calls about his team. Cameron Archer, starting the match against Oxford United, was a big shock and that decision received plenty of negative comments on social media and further afield.
The boss brought in Kuryu Matsuki for the derby match away at Portsmouth, so there could be room for another surprise against Arsenal tomorrow.
Scienza, though, is more likely to feature from the bench if at all and could return to the starting lineup at Wrexham on Tuesday.
Southampton's biggest match of the season is not Arsenal
The Championship six-pointer is Southampton's biggest match of the season so far, and a win would propel the Saints back into the top six with a game in hand on most of the teams around them.
The Southampton Head Coach rarely reveals much at press conferences and usually only discloses what he chooses regarding his squad's fitness and availability.
So, hearing that Scienza's fitness is good and that he is back in training is very good news. Saints fans will be pleased to learn that the Brazilian will be playing again soon.
Scienza has 14 goal involvements to his name in a Southampton shirt so far, and his creativity has been badly missed in March. The Saints managed a paltry 49 shots in March, ranking 13th in the league.
The link between Scienza's absence and their lack of shots in March is obvious.
Scienza will be needed for the run-in; his creativity, goals, and ability to win a free-kick have been sorely missed.