Ross Stewart, a summer acquisition for Southampton, has yet to make his debut for the Saints this season but might make his return this weekend when Russell Martin’s side face Hull City.
Stewart went to the St. Mary’s Stadium from Sunderland in the summer for a fee of £10 million. However, the Scotland international suffered a serious injury in the FA Cup last January and is yet to return to action.
The ex-Celtic academy standout joined the Black Cats in 2021 and scored 40 goals in 81 appearances across all competitions, including 26 during Sunderland’s promotion back to the Championship in 2021/22.
Nonetheless, Stewart’s contract was slated to expire at the end of the 2023/24 season, and he was still a few months away from returning to action, so the club accepted a high bid from Southampton to avoid losing him on a free transfer in the summer.
According to Mark Wyatt (via Chronicle Live), the Saints have been inconsistent this season under new head coach Russell Martin, but they have been given a lift ahead of this weekend’s meeting with Hull City, as Stewart may finally be set to make his debut for the South Coast club.
In a recent interview with Give Me Sport, journalist Dean Jones tentatively supported this. Jones has also made the audacious claim that Stewart might ‘change’ Southampton’s offense whenever he returns to action.
“They’re waiting to see if Stewart will be available for the next game, but as soon as he is, I think you’re looking at a player who can start to get them going in the right direction.”
Southampton needs competition for all positions, but in Stewart, you’ve got someone keeping your major stars on their toes, and he has the ability to provide goals that matter,” Jones added.
I believe he can change the Saints’ attack. Even if he’s just coming off the bench, there’s a sense that he’s pressuring people like Adams to stand up and make sure they get enough game time.”
Stewart is a goal-scoring machine. While his 24 League One goals from two seasons ago are outstanding, the Scot also scored 10 times in 13 Championship games for Sunderland last season. This was his debut season in England’s second division.
It may take him a few weeks to adjust, but Southampton will benefit from Stewart’s talent in the second half of the season.
