Southampton suffer fresh Ross Stewart blow - Will Still blamed for latest setback that could "break him" | OneFootball

Southampton are waiting to discover the full extent of Ross Stewart's injury after the striker was forced off at Derby with a hamstring issue.

Ross Stewart’s terrible luck with injuries continued on Saturday as he was forced off in the first half of their 1-1 draw at Derby County.

The Scotland international has made just 27 appearances for Saints since his arrival from Sunderland in 2023, with the striker having had various problems over the years.

The latest issue came at Pride Park, as Southampton boss Will Still revealed the 29-year-old has a hamstring problem. Whilst it will require a scan to discover the full extent of the injury, it’s a huge concern given Stewart’s history.

Ross Stewart had started to show his quality at Southampton

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of all of this is that Stewart had quickly established himself as a key player under Still in recent weeks.

After easing the striker back into things, Stewart featured for a ninth game in a row for Southampton against the Rams, and it was his third start in a week.

That came on the back of an outstanding individual display at Sheffield United in the week, when Stewart scored twice, which included a brilliant long-range effort.

Even against Derby, the ex-Inverness man was a constant threat, whilst his physicality meant he was the ideal focal point for the side, who notably looked less threatening once he had been replaced after half an hour.

Therefore, fans were gutted by Stewart’s setback, and even though they don’t know how long he will be out, there is a lot of concern for the striker, as well as sympathy for his situation.

Another Saints fan rued the fact that Stewart is seemingly unable to cope with the physical demands of the Championship.

Meanwhile, one supporter felt it was inevitable that Stewart would break down given his problems since he arrived on the south coast.

Finally, Will Still's role in this was questioned, as one fan asked whether it was sensible to play him from the start for a third time in a week. Ultimately, it proved to be the wrong move.

Ross Stewart will be a big miss for Southampton if out for an extended period

Obviously, we don't know the full extent of the problem, but it's a huge worry given Stewart's injury history, which does include hamstring issues, so it's natural to fear that he will be set for another lengthy lay-off.

You have huge sympathy for the player, as he has worked so hard to battle back to fitness, and it seemed that he had turned a corner with his superb display at Bramall Lane.

Given his height and ability to bring others into play, Stewart is the ideal number nine for the way that Still wants to play, and he has a profile that no other number nine in the squad has.

So, there's no getting away from the fact that this will be a major blow for Southampton if he is out for an extended period, but all connected to the club will be hoping that they get some good news in the coming days.