Will Smallbone will miss the rest of the season with a cruciate ligament injury.
The Republic of Ireland Under-21 international suffered the setback in Southampton’s 2-1 defeat to Leicester City on Saturday.
That was his first game after a three-month layoff with a quad issue, but Smallbone is now facing a prolonged spell on the sidelines.
Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl said today: “We have another big injury with Will Smallbone. It’s an ACL injury so half a year out maybe.
“It’s horrible for the young lad and for us. At the moment with these injuries it is definitely not our best side.
“There are circumstances at the moment in this strange season which leads to a lot of problems with injuries that we didn’t have the whole of last season.
“So it’s interesting to see what this season does to the players. We are not the only team that struggles with injuries so it’s quite strange.”
English-born Smallbone, 20, qualifies for Ireland through his Kilkenny mother and has been a regular for the Boys in Green at underage level.
Highly regarded, he made his Southampton debut in the FA Cup last season and penned a fresh four-year deal in June.
