Southampton’s Gavin Bazunu may not play again this year after an operation to repair a ruptured Achilles that he sustained in the warm-up before Tuesday’s triumph over Preston.
One of Leeds United’s title opponents will be without their first-choice goalkeeper heading into the final stretch. Southampton manager Russell Martin has stated that Gavin Bazunu will be out of action for nine to ten months following surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles.
The Republic of Ireland international sustained the injury during a warm-up before Tuesday’s victory over Preston North End. Martin told the journalists that Gavin had an operation on Thursday, and it was as awful as they had feared.
“He will be out for about nine to ten months because he ruptured his Achilles.” So, I spoke with Gavin last night. He brought his entire family from Ireland to support him and the medical experts here.
“Gavin is currently dealing with a major setback and disappointment in his personal and professional life. There will be some very dark and lonely moments because when you dream of doing something and do it every day, and then it is taken away from you unexpectedly, it is quite tough to cope with. We will assist him and get around him, but we must also recognize that he will feel this way at times.
“How you deal with disappointment will define everything you do and I’ve got no doubt he will come out of the other side stronger.”
Three consecutive home victories, combined with the division’s top three all struggling in recent games, has catapulted the Saints back into contention for automatic promotion. They are four points behind second-place Leicester City and still have games against the Foxes and the Whites before the end of the season. Southampton visit Elland Road on the final day of the season.
Martin, whose team travels to mid-table Cardiff City tomorrow, said: “With four games to play, the next three are meaningless if we don’t take care of tomorrow [Saturday]. It’s extremely crucial; it’s without a doubt the biggest game of our season.”
