Southampton sweating over Cyle Larin’s fitness ahead of Portsmouth derby

Southampton are waiting for further clarity on Cyle Larin’s condition after the striker picked up a back injury while representing Canada during the international break.

The Saints had made a promising start to their Championship campaign, but their preparations for next Sunday’s South Coast derby against Portsmouth have been complicated by fresh fitness concerns.

Southampton face fresh injury concern after Daniel Peretz setback

Southampton have recorded four wins and two draws from their opening eight league matches. However, a four-point deduction linked to the Spygate controversy has left them 13th in the Championship table, three points adrift of the play-off positions.

There is also uncertainty surrounding head coach Tonda Eckert, who is awaiting the outcome of an FA hearing into misconduct charges connected to the same controversy.

Injury worries have added to the uncertainty at St Mary’s. Goalkeeper Daniel Peretz has already withdrawn from Israel’s squad with a minor groin problem, which is expected to sideline him for around 10 days and could rule him out of the Portsmouth encounter.

The Saints must now monitor Larin as they assess the potential impact of another international-break setback.

Jesse Marsch delivers concerning Cyle Larin update

Larin initially arrived at Southampton on loan from Mallorca in February and quickly established himself as an important attacking option. After scoring nine goals in 22 appearances during his loan spell, the Canadian forward completed a permanent move to the club in the summer.

His impressive form has continued into the new campaign. The 31-year-old was named Championship Player of the Month for August after finding the net four times in Southampton’s first three league fixtures.

He added three more goals in September, including a brace during the 4-1 victory over Bristol City, taking his league tally to seven and making him the division’s leading scorer at the time of the report.

Larin has also remained an important figure for Canada. He scored twice for his country during the summer’s World Cup, helping the hosts reach the last 16.

The striker was involved again during the current international window, providing an assist in Canada’s 1-0 friendly victory over Chile.

However, his involvement in the subsequent match against Peru became uncertain after he suffered a back injury while lifting weights during training.

Canada head coach Jesse Marsch explained that Larin had hurt his back in the gym and would face a late fitness assessment before the Peru fixture.

The injury has since kept him out of that match, leaving Southampton awaiting further information on his recovery as the Portsmouth derby approaches.

With Larin having played such a significant role in the Saints’ attack this season, his availability could prove important ahead of one of the club’s most eagerly anticipated fixtures.