Southampton manager Russell Martin has praised Paul Onuachu for his impressive form and work ethic in training, expressing hope for a swift recovery after the striker was forced off due to fatigue injury during the Saints' 3-2 home defeat to Liverpool.
The towering striker was handed his first Premier League start of the season and delivered a commendable performance, earning praise from Martin.
However, he was substituted in the 52nd minute after appearing to sustain an injury from a strong challenge by Darwin Nunez.
Onuachu was seen clutching his knee, raising concerns about a potential serious injury. However, Martin later suggested that the striker's discomfort may have been due to fatigue rather than any significant injury.
Martin hints Onuachu's injury fatigue-related
In his post-match comments to Daily Echo, Martin offered an update on Onuachu's injury, following the striker’s early exit in the 3-2 defeat to Liverpool.
He expressed optimism that the Super Eagles forward's injury might not be severe and suggested that fatigue may have been the main issue, rather than a lasting injury.
“Onuachu probably deserved to start before now, the way he’s trained – he’s been so good. He was really good, so I hope his injury is nothing too serious. It’s just a bit of fatigue, but I thought he played really, really well,” he said.
Before being substituted in the 52nd minute, Onuachu impressed with his performance, completing all three of his dribble attempts, recording 19 touches, and achieving a pass accuracy rate of 75% with six successful passes out of eight, and also won five out of six ground duels.
Since rejoining Southampton at the start of the season following a successful loan spell with Trabzonspor, the 30-year-old has featured in seven matches across all competitions, averaging 20 minutes of play per game under Martin's management.
