Southampton FC suffer potentially huge player blow | OneFootball

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Southampton have suffered a potentially big injury blow during the international break.

According to Talksport (09.33), Taylor Harwood Bellis has suffered a hamstring injury that has ruled him out of contention for England’s upcoming international fixtures against Serbia and Ukraine.

The defender has impressed for the Saints since joining the club on loan over the summer, becoming a key part of Russell Martin’s side.

His performances earned him a call-up to the England U21 side, where he has proven a key asset in recent international windows.

Harwood-Bellis was part of the squad that won the U21 European Championship last summer.

What is the latest surrounding Taylor Harwood-Bellis’ fitness?

However, he will not feature in their two upcoming fixtures, having pulled out of the squad with an issue.

Southampton have confirmed the injury, releasing a statement announcing his return to the club where they will assess the extent of the issue and work on getting him back to full fitness.

“Southampton defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis will return to Staplewood Campus with an injury despite being called-up to England's Under-21s,” wrote the club, via their official website.

“The 21-year-old was due to face Serbia and Ukraine in EURO 2025 qualifiers with Lee Carsley's side.

“Harwood-Bellis has now returned to the club where he will be further assessed.

“An update will be provided in due course.”

Where are Southampton in the Championship table?

Harwood-Bellis has featured six times for Martin’s side so far this season, cementing his place in recent weeks as a key starter in the heart of the team’s defence.

The Manchester City loanee was an integral part of Burnley’s rise to the Championship title last year before returning to the Etihad in the summer.

The defender featured 32 times in the second division, with injuries preventing him from making further appearances.

The 21-year-old was an impressive part of Vincent Kompany’s side as they clinched promotion to the Premier League in dominant fashion.

Harwood-Bellis’ Southampton debut came in a 4-1 loss to league leaders Leicester City.

This was the first of three defeats in a row to start his life at St. Mary’s, before the side’s form picked up in his three most recent appearances.

Southampton are currently 10th in the second division table, sitting one point outside of the play-off places.

Martin will be hoping Harwood-Bellis isn’t out injured for too long, as he could be key to the club gaining promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

Next up for the Saints is a clash with Hull City on 21 October.

How big of a loss is Harwood-Bellis to Southampton?

A hamstring injury could see the centre back miss a number of weeks of action at least, if it is serious enough.

This would be a real loss to Southampton, who lack strong alternative options from the bench in this position.

The team has had significant defensive issues this season, so losing their best defender would be a real cause for concern for Martin.