Southampton summer signing Ross Stewart is yet to make his debut for the Saints this season but could be set for a return this weekend as Russell Martin’s side take on Hull City.
Stewart moved to the St. Mary’s Stadium in the summer from Sunderland for £10 million. However, the Scotland international suffered a nasty injury in the FA Cup last January and has yet to be seen back out on the pitch.
The ex-Celtic academy star joined the Black Cats in 2021 and scored 40 goals in 81 appearances in all competitions, including 26 during the 2021/22 season as Sunderland achieved promotion back to the Championship.
Nevertheless, the centre-forward’s contract was set to expire at the end of the 2023/24 campaign and Stewart was still a few months away from returning to action, so the club accepted a lofty bid from Southampton to avoid losing him on a free in the summer.
The Saints have been inconsistent this season under new head coach Russell Martin but have been handed a boost ahead of this weekend’s clash with Hull City as Stewart could be finally set to make his debut for the South Coast club, according to Mark Wyatt (via Chronicle Live).
This has been cautiously backed up by journalist Dean Jones in a recent interview with Give Me Sport. Jones has also made a bold statement that Stewart could potentially ‘transform’ Southampton’s attack once he is back in action.
“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,” Jones continued.
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.”
Writer’s View
Stewart is a prolific goalscorer. While his tally two seasons ago of 24 League One goals is impressive, the Scot also bagged 10 times in 13 Championship appearances last term for Sunderland. This was his first-ever campaign in England’s second tier.
It may take him a couple of weeks to get up to scratch but Southampton will reap the benefits of Stewart’s quality in the latter half of the season.
