Southampton FC transfer call set to pay dividends after huge blow: View | OneFootball

It has been an excellent few months for Southampton in the Championship.

The Saints emerged as automatic promotion contenders after a remarkable 25-game unbeaten run between September and February, but a recent decline in form looked to have ended their top two hopes.

However, with Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Leeds United all faltering, Southampton are back in the race, and they secured their third consecutive victory with an emphatic 3-0 win over Preston North End at St Mary's on Tuesday night.

A double from Che Adams and a strike from Stuart Armstrong gave the Saints a three-goal advantage after 33 minutes, and while they continued to dominate, they could not add to their lead.

Russell Martin's side currently sit fourth in the table, four points behind second-placed Leicester and five points behind leaders Ipswich, but they have a game in hand on some of those above them, and they play both Leicester and Leeds before the end of the season.

It was another positive night for Southampton in midweek, but there was one bit of bad news with goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu suffering an injury in the warm-up, and Martin revealed he does not expect the 22-year-old to feature again this season.

"It's a bad one," Martin told the club's official website. "Really gutted for Gav, it looks a really bad one, so I don't expect to see him again this season, but obviously we'll know a bit more in the next couple of days and the players and the staff will support him as best as we possibly can, because we have brilliant people here at this club.

"So Gavin knows he's cared for and loved for, and we'll get around him and hope for some good news, but probably expect it to not be very good at all.

"I saw him just after the injury and he's devastated, as are we. He's been amazing for us, he's been such a good player."

Alex McCarthy replaced Bazunu in the starting line-up against Preston, and the Saints will be glad that the 34-year-old did not depart in the January transfer window.

Alex McCarthy is the ideal Gavin Bazunu replacement for Southampton

Bazunu had started every league game for Southampton prior to Tuesday night, and he had impressed between the sticks, keeping 11 clean sheets in 41 appearances in all competitions, so his absence is undoubtedly a blow.

Joe Lumley was named on the bench for the game against Preston, and he has been the Saints' second choice in recent months, so eyebrows were raised when Martin opted to bring McCarthy into the team instead.

The fact Lumley was overlooked suggests a lack of faith in him from Martin, and with crucial games coming up and potentially a play-off campaign, the manager will be relieved that he has another goalkeeper he trusts to call upon in McCarthy.

Given his lack of game time, McCarthy seemed destined to leave St Mary's in January, and he has been the subject of interest from Everton and Crystal Palace this season.

Journalist Alex Crook revealed in February that McCarthy is earning around £40,000 a week, which may have been a stumbling block to any potential move, but Martin will now be thankful that he remained at the club.

McCarthy is a vastly experienced goalkeeper who has spent the vast majority of his career in the Premier League, as well as featuring for England at international level, so he is an incredibly safe pair of hands and the perfect replacement for Bazunu at such a critical point of the season.

Martin praised McCarthy for his performance against Preston, telling the club's official website: "It was a big call obviously with Alex or Joe.

"We've seen what Joe can do and he's been great in the games he's played, so I wanted to see Al tonight.

"Alex has trained so brilliantly. For him to be third choice, a guy that's played for England, been here a long time, played a lot of games in the Premier League, it's tough, but he trained so well, he's a fantastic goalkeeper and I thought he did great tonight."

With games against Cardiff City, Leicester, Stoke City and Leeds to come, McCarthy is likely to be busy over the coming weeks, but he will be worth every penny of his significant wages if he makes the saves that help his side to promotion.