Mohammed Salisu's hope of making his first appearance for new club Southampton against Shrewsbury Town on Saturday looks unlikely, having picked up a muscle injury.
Signed from Spanish outfit Real Valladolid in August last year, the Ghanaian centre-back has had to bide his time for his Saints bow, initially due to fitness concerns and more recently a struggle in breaking into the club's first team.
Last month, Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl had hinted the 21-year-old could likely make his debut against less risky lower division side Shrewsbury Town in a bid to smoothly ease him into elite English action.
After six straight bench appearances in the Premier League and with the FA Cup fixture edging ever close, the centre-back was surprisingly missing from the bench as The Saints handed Liverpool a 1-0 defeat in the top-flight on Monday.
"Again, muscle injuries, both," Hasenhuttl told Daily Echo when asked about the absence of the Ghanaian and striker Michael Obafemi in the Liverpool showdown.
It is unclear if the centre-back will recover in time for the Shrewsbury Town FA Cup fixture which is now only three days away.
"Salisu is the future of this club. It will take time. We know how long it takes for some players to step into the team," Hasenhuttl said on the Ghanaian last month.
"He has so much potential and [at Fulham] it was more important for me, as I said, not to unsettle the team. It would have been difficult, I think.
"I am really happy that Sali is here and he shows to me in every session that he can help up."
Salisu joined Southampton in a four-year-deal, snubbing interest from French side Stade Rennais and reportedly from Manchester United, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Last season, he made 31 appearances for Valladolid in the Spanish La Liga, starting in 30 of the games and scoring once. It was only his first term of senior professional football.
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