Southampton: Russell Martin provides Ross Stewart update ahead of Bristol City clash | OneFootball

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Russell Martin has given an update on the fitness of Ross Stewart following his second substitute appearance for the club last weekend.

Stewart signed for Southampton during the summer transfer window, arriving in a deadline day deal from Sunderland worth a reported £10 million.

The Scot only made his first appearance for the club prior to the November international break, coming off the bench in the closing stages of their win over West Brom.

There is a lot of expectation surrounding Stewart, who is still recovering from a significant injury issue suffered last January.

An Achilles injury has kept him out of action for most of 2023, but he has now made two substitute appearances for the Saints, with supporters hotly anticipating the impact he could have on the team’s promotion chances.

What is the latest Ross Stewart news?

Martin has warned supporters not to expect too much too soon from the forward, as he continues his recovery back to full health.

The Southampton boss indicated that Stewart is still a ways off earning his first start for the club, suggesting they are still easing him back into the team after such a lengthy lay-off.

"It's really difficult to put a timeframe on it, we have to keep building him up,” said Martin, via the Daily Echo.

"We need to keep giving him what he needs and he still has to be managed in training in terms of the load for him.

"It's such a big change for him and it's happened so quickly so I think he needs to get on the pitch.

“He has one of the Championship's top scorers to try and displace.

"We can definitely get all three of Ross, Adam Armstrong and Che Adams on the pitch, as we did towards the end of the game on Saturday.

"He knows it's a really good challenge for him, he's training brilliantly and we just need to be patient with him.

"Do I see him starting a game in the next week or two? Probably not.

“But as he builds up over time, the closer he gets.

“The more minutes he gets on the pitch, the better."

Where are Southampton in the Championship table?

Southampton earned a 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town last weekend, with a late equaliser from the hosts preventing the south coast club from maintaining their winning run.

The gap to the automatic promotion places was reduced to eight points following Ipswich Town’s loss to West Brom.

Martin’s side is fourth in the Championship table.

Next up for Southampton is the visit of Bristol City to St. Mary’s on Wednesday evening.

How important could Ross Stewart be for Southampton?

Stewart scored 10 goals in 13 league appearances last season for a newly-promoted Sunderland.

If he can have that kind of goal scoring impact with the Saints once he is back fit, then fans will feel the wait will have been worth it.

It’s understandable if supporters might be a bit frustrated at his lack of game time so far, but the club is being sensible in easing him back into regular game time given the serious nature of his recent absence.

A fully fit Stewart has the potential to power Southampton straight back to the Premier League, so it is worth being careful with his health.