Southampton: Russell Martin's recent Ross Stewart claim is sad for all parties: View | OneFootball

Highlights

Ross Stewart joined Southampton in an £8 million move in the summer, signing after showcasing his goal scoring ability for Sunderland the season prior.

Despite injuries ruling him out for most of the Championship campaign, the Scottish striker came back to score ten goals in 13 matches for the Black Cats, helping them reach the play-off places in the league.

After defeat to Luton Town in the semi-finals, Stewart was sold to the recently relegated Saints, in a move that gave the club hope that he could continue his goal-scoring exploits to help Southampton win promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

However, things did not quite go to plan for Stewart, and injuries have limited him to just two appearances so far this season.

Stewart won't play for Southampton until the play-offs

Southampton manager Russell Martin has given an upsetting update on Stewart's future this season, revealing that he will likely only play again if the club reach the Championship play-offs.

While it was expected that he would be out for the season, Martin told the Daily Echo that he doesn't expect his £8 million signing to play again, unless their season is extended with a run in the play-offs, which would only occur if the club finished between third and sixth in the league.

He said: "Unless our season is extended then we will have to have a look at it but I don’t think there is expectation on Ross to play at any point."

The Scottish international has played just two games for the Saints so far, as a hamstring injury suffered in a match against Huddersfield ruled him out for the majority of the season.

His move to Southampton has been a nightmare for all involved

Stewart's move to Southampton has not gone to plan, and his first season at St Mary's has been one to forget for all parties.

While his fitness was clearly an issue at Sunderland, his goal-to-game ratio made the signing seem like enough of a risk for Martin to make the move for him.

After the club's dismal performance in their last year in the Premier League, Southampton targeted Stewart as a proven striker in the second tier who could help fire them back to the top division.

He averaged a goal contribution every game last year for the Black Cats, and was one of the most impressive strikers when he could stay fit at the Stadium of Light.

£8 million looked like a bargain with his goal scoring record, with the deal they got likely because of the unreliability of his availability.

Sunderland have proven to be the winners in the transaction. Stewart was injured when he joined the Saints, and missed the first half of the season due to an Achilles injury that he suffered the year prior at the Black Cats.

He returned to action in November, playing just 17 minutes in two matches before going off against Huddersfield due to a hamstring injury. He failed to score in those brief appearances, and it would be difficult to claim that Martin got any value for the money spent on the Scot in the summer.

Given how he has spent the majority of the past two seasons out with injuries, it is unknown if he can ever get back to the form that convinced Southampton to spend millions of pounds on him.

While he has come back well from injuries in the past, missing nearly two years of football at the age of 27 could hamper his development, as well as affect his confidence and mental health during this time.

This season should have been the chance for Stewart to prove himself in a top side in the division, and he was ready to be the main striker in a title-challenging team.

Injuries have taken away the biggest opportunity he has had in his career, and if the Saints miss out on promotion then his lack of availability will seem even more painful for both player and club.

With Martin admitting that his season is all-but over, it gives him little chance of establishing himself in the team before a potential promotion. The club would be foolish to go into the Premier League betting on the injury-prone striker, and his chance of being a starter for the Saints looks likely to be over.