Ross Stewart tipped to 'transform' Southampton on injury return

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·20 October 2023

Ross Stewart tipped to 'transform' Southampton on injury return

Southampton striker Ross Stewart could “transform” the St. Mary’s outfit’s attack when fit and available, as journalist Dean Jones name drops a Saints star who could benefit from the summer signing’s return to action in an interview with GIVEMESPORT.

Russell Martin has endured a mixed start to his tenure on the south coast and aims to fire the club back into the Premier League. The ex-Swansea City manager has come under scrutiny over the last month but hopes to witness his side turn the tide and press on to secure at least a place in the Championship play-offs come the end of the season.

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Stewart is yet to make an appearance for Southampton

Southampton endured a whirlwind Deadline Day following both potential outgoings and incomings. The Saints looked set to lose striker Che Adams on a season-long loan to Wolverhampton Wanderers on the market's final day. However, with seven hours of the window remaining, The Athletic revealed that Southampton had blocked Adams’ move to Molineux.

The loan included an option and potential obligation of £15m for Wolves to sign the centre-forward permanently. But, the 27-year-old was deemed crucial to Southampton’s promotion prospects and remained at St. Mary’s.

Meanwhile, Southampton added to their striker department by securing a £10m deal to sign Sunderland centre-forward Stewart. Upon his arrival, the Scottish attacker expressed his delight at securing a move to St. Mary’s (via HampshireLive):

“Southampton is a massive club. In recent years, it’s been a Premier League club, and for me, it’s a great challenge to come down here and play football for a team that’s going to be competing at the top of the league.”

However, things haven’t worked out as expected for Stewart. Despite arriving on the south coast over a month ago, the 27-year-old has yet to appear for the Saints. He suffered a significant Achilles injury during an FA Cup tie at Fulham in January and hasn’t featured for Sunderland or Southampton since.

Jones has recently suggested to GIVEMESPORT that Adams would be below Stewart in the pecking order when the latter is match-fit. However, the Saints faithful hope that Stewart is closing in on a return to action soon, ahead of a potential Southampton debut this month.

Dean Jones update – Ross Stewart

Jones believes that, when fit, Stewart could have Southampton “heading in the right direction” up the league as they aim for an immediate return to the Premier League. The journalist claims his presence will force players like Adams to step up their game to remain on the pitch. He told GIVEMESPORT:

“They are waiting to see whether Stewart can become available for the next game, but as soon as he becomes available, I think you're looking at a player that can start to have them heading in the right direction. Southampton need competition for places everywhere, but in Stewart, you've got somebody keeping your main stars on their toes, and he's got the potential to deliver goals that matter. I do think he can transform that Saints attack. Even if he's just coming off the bench, just the sense that he's forcing players like Adams to just step up that game and make sure they're getting enough game time.”

Stewart's potential date of return from injury

Southampton reporter for HampshireLive, Mark Wyatt, has recently told ChronicleLive that Saints fans hope to see Stewart back in action for Saturday’s trip to Hull City. The reporter adds that the south coast outfit don’t want to rush his return and that his debut could likely be as a substitute at the MKM Stadium.

With Martin frequently tinkering with the side this term, Stewart will find opportunities to break into the starting XI once he’s deemed match-fit. The two-cap Scotland international found the back of the net ten times in 13 Championship appearances before injury curtailed his season last term, hinting that he’s a proven second-tier goalscorer. That could prove invaluable at St. Mary’s, with a lack of cutting-edge being their major downfall in the season’s early stages.

Southampton’s chances of Premier League promotion

Before this weekend’s Championship fixtures, Southampton sit tenth in the Championship table, one point off a spot in the play-offs and 11 behind an automatic promotion spot. A positive result at Hull (who sit level on points and one place above them in the table) could be the springboard for a serious promotion push, with challenging fixtures against Preston North End and Birmingham City to follow.