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Will Smallbone Out For The Rest Of The Season

Will Smallbone will miss the rest of the season after picking up an injury in the defeat at Leicester City on Saturday evening, a major blow for both the club and the player just as it looked like he might get a run in the side.

Will Smallbone will miss the rest of the season and possibly the start of 2021/22 after picking up an injury at Leicester, that has now been confirmed as his anterior cruciate ligament by Saints, who see another member of the squad ruled out by injury.

Smallbone impressed in the restart last season and ended the campaign with 9 Premier League appearances after making his full debut for the club in the FA Cup 3rd round against Huddersfield when he scored the opening goal.

This season after starting against Crystal Palace on the opening day and coming on as a sub in the second game of the season he had struggled to get into the side due to the good form of others and the Leicester game was his opportunity to shine.

He appeared to be taking that opportunity with both hands until an innocuous challenge saw him go down in agony and although he tried to stay on he was forced off.

Ralph Hasenhuttl had this to say:

"We have another big injury with Will Smallbone. It’s the worst for him and for us, an ACL injury, so half a year out, maybe,”

"It’s horrible for the young lad and for us. In the moment with injuries it is definitely not our best run, but there are some circumstances in this strange season that leads to a lot of problems with a topic that we didn’t have for the whole of last season.”

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