Tyler Dibling's Premier League game-time has been given a massive blow with Ross Stewart's roster return.
During the beginning of the week, Southampton delivered a strange surprise to their fans. If you missed it, the Saints welcomed Ross Stewart into their first-team setup which is a cheerful occasion in itself given the striker's paltry playing career at the club.
Now, if you believed Stewart's comeback to be a mere meet-and-greet then you must remain prepared for another eyebrow-raising moment. The reason behind that is Ivan Juric is toying with the idea of forging another Paul Onuachu level success story with the towering Scot.
Coming to the risky part, Stewart could even be tasked with inspiring Southampton to overcome Derby County's frightening hurdle. Let's be honest, many tacticians would be reluctant to experiment at this stage of the season but Juric is equally excited about this prospect.
As quoted by the Daily Echo, Juric said: "He's not playing anymore for the under-21s. We will see if we can use him."
Tyler Dibling could be on track to accept substitute duties
Nonetheless, favouring Stewart will come at another attacker's cost. Paul Onuachu is the best alternative available at Juric's disposal and Sulemana's pace can't be doubted in must-win games.
As things stand, Tyler Dibling could end up agreeing to a reduced role to see out the campaign.
A few months ago, fielding a Dibling-less front three would have been an unimaginable thought but a lengthy goal-drought has now pushed Dibling closer to the substitute bench. Looking at the flip side, Juric could be hinting Dibling to step up his efforts by bringing Stewart into the selection order.
After all, expecting the club's best player to raise his on-field standards is well justified when fringe stars are also making a case for their Premier League minutes.