Southampton are awaiting additional information on striker Cyle Larin’s fitness after he sustained an injury while on international duty with Canada.

Southampton have had a solid start to the season in the Championship, but following a tumultuous international break, the Saints’ fears are growing ahead of next Sunday’s South Coast derby against Portsmouth at St Mary’s.

Southampton are concerned about Cyle Larin’s injury following the strike to Daniel Peretz.

Southampton have won four and drew two of their first eight league games, but a four-point deduction imposed as part of their punishment for the Spygate scandal puts them 13th in the Championship table, three points behind the play-off places.

Championship table (as of 3rd October)

P

GD Points: 9

Charlton Athletic (8)

-3 12 10 Birmingham City 8 1 11 11 Millwall 8 0 11 12 Lincoln City 8

-1 11 13 Southampton 8 9 10 14 Wrexham 8

-3 10 15 Bolton Wanderers 8

-4 10

16

Blackburn Rovers: 8–0 9

There could be further implications from Spygate for the Saints as the wait to see if head coach Tonda Eckert will be banned continues following an FA hearing last week over misconduct charges.

In addition to the uncertainty surrounding Eckert, Southampton have already suffered one injury blow during the international break, as goalkeeper Daniel Peretz withdrew from the Israel squad with a minor groin issue that is expected to keep him out for 10 days, making him a doubt for the match against Portsmouth next week.

The Saints now have another injury concern ahead of their match with Pompey, after Cyle Larin sustained an injury while on international duty with Canada.

Jesse Marsch delivers Cyle Larin’s injury update, which will concern Southampton.

Larin joined Southampton on loan from Spanish club Mallorca in February, and after scoring nine goals in 22 games in the second part of last season, the deal was made permanent this summer.

The 31-year-old’s good form has carried over into the new season, as he was voted Championship Player of the Month in August after scoring four goals in his team’s first three league games.

Larin continued to score regularly in September, scoring three goals in four games, including a double in the Saints’ 4-1 win over Bristol City, to bring his season total to seven, making him the division’s leading scorer.

While Larin has become a fan favourite since joining St Mary’s earlier this year, he has also played an important role for Canada at the international level in recent months, scoring twice for Jesse Marsch’s team at this summer’s World Cup in the United States as they advanced to the tournament’s last 16.

After being called into the squad for the current international break, Larin provided an assist in Canada’s 1-0 friendly win over Chile last weekend, but Marsch revealed that the striker is doubtful for Saturday’s game against Peru after “hurting his back in the weight room,” admitting that it will be a “game-time decision” whether he plays.

Southampton fans react to Cyle Larin injury news as the Portsmouth match looms.

It’s unclear whether Larin’s injury will keep him out of the game against Portsmouth next Sunday, but many Southampton fans expressed their displeasure with the extended international break in response to a post from SaintsExtra on X that shared Marsch’s comments.

If Larin is unable to play against Pompey, Divin Mubama, on loan from Manchester City, will be the Saints’ sole fit striker, and after offloading Ross Stewart and Cameron Archer this summer, some fans have expressed frustration with the board for the lack of depth in the front areas.

However, one Southampton fan suggested that Larin’s return from Canada duty could be a positive if it ensures he is available for the derby next Sunday, while another claimed that both he and Peretz may be deliberately missing international games to avoid injuring themselves and missing the derby.