Adkins expects to have strong squad to tackle Villa

8:00am Monday 7th January 2013 in Sport

Gaston Ramirez - missed Chelsea game with 'dead leg' Gaston Ramirez - missed Chelsea game with 'dead leg'

Nigel Adkins expects to have most of his frontline stars available again for the crunch visit to Aston Villa.

The Saints boss decided to rest eight-goal top scorer Rickie Lambert for the FA Cup tie against Chelsea.

But he was denied the services of club record signing Gaston Ramirez after the Uruguyan playmaker declared himself unfit following a fitness test.

Right back Nathaniel Clyne was also out injured – the third game in a row he has missed – while skipper Adam Lallana is still expected to be missing for a while following the knee injury he suffered almost a month ago.

Saints will also wait on the assessment of the damage to centre half Jose Fonte after he was stretchered off.

“He got a dead leg,” said Adkins of Ramirez.

“I named him in the team but he had a fitness test and he declared himself not fit."

Full story in today's Daily Echo

Comments(13)

mbetts says...
8:36am Mon 7 Jan 13

No excuses now, total focus on getting to the 40 point mark, get in the couple of players needed to bolster the defence, decide who's going to be the keeper and stick with him, to build their confidence, at the moment they're playing with fear, one mistake and they get dropped, not good for the entire defence.

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ThatMatthewGuy says...
8:46am Mon 7 Jan 13

Another dead leg for Ramirez? I understand that being a professional footballer has its tolls and it's a big step up from Serie A to the Premier League but we payed £12 for a 22 year old that should be in the prime of his fitness and he's out again with a dead leg. This is a must-win game against another relegation candidate sitting one place above our own. We needed our strongest side and we're missing our best RB, our "best" playmaker, our best LM and our best CB. Love the Saints but I'm worried for this game.

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St.Yorkie says...
9:01am Mon 7 Jan 13

Ramirez with another dead leg...I wonder if it is the same injury that kept him out for so long?
I understand professional footballers always want to test themselves against the best - I wonder if he really chickened out of playing Chelsea. I wonder if he is up for the fight? Reportedly had a fitness test - then declared himself unfit! I wonder if we are getting the whole truth?

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OSPREYSAINT says...
9:42am Mon 7 Jan 13

St.Yorkie wrote:
Ramirez with another dead leg...I wonder if it is the same injury that kept him out for so long?
I understand professional footballers always want to test themselves against the best - I wonder if he really chickened out of playing Chelsea. I wonder if he is up for the fight? Reportedly had a fitness test - then declared himself unfit! I wonder if we are getting the whole truth?
It was a different leg to the original injury. We won't know why he declared himself to be unfit, but if it was genuine I applaud him for being honest and not wanting to let the side down, if it was last minute, it would explain a lot about how our plans made on the training ground all went haywire on the day. It put a lot of weight on JWPs shoulders, lots of things we could have done in hindsight, and as table top managers we all have different opinions, and some would have been better options!

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rossofficial10 says...
9:48am Mon 7 Jan 13

ThatMatthewGuy wrote:
Another dead leg for Ramirez? I understand that being a professional footballer has its tolls and it's a big step up from Serie A to the Premier League but we payed £12 for a 22 year old that should be in the prime of his fitness and he's out again with a dead leg. This is a must-win game against another relegation candidate sitting one place above our own. We needed our strongest side and we're missing our best RB, our "best" playmaker, our best LM and our best CB. Love the Saints but I'm worried for this game.
i dont believe the ramirez thing at all!
its a cover up to rest him for the villa game!

they always blame these things on niggles! poor excuses.


why dont nigel just say hes resting ramirez as well! lol

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Jesus_02 says...
1:21pm Mon 7 Jan 13

Villa is a massive game. Adkins wont want toi let anything slip in terms of player selection, but I expect, RL, Clyne and Ramerez will all start

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CB FRY LIVES says...
2:23pm Mon 7 Jan 13

Jesus_02 wrote:
Villa is a massive game. Adkins wont want toi let anything slip in terms of player selection, but I expect, RL, Clyne and Ramerez will all start
who will play in goal though.i would go gor kelvin.

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lowemustgo says...
3:38pm Mon 7 Jan 13

Where are the new defenders we need in the transfer window? This game and Wigan are the must wins. Its no use signing players on the 31st of January who are not used to the PL until March.
Must have a GK and a centre back.

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InCortesewetrust says...
6:13pm Mon 7 Jan 13

Stick with boruc in goal, the cucking fat funt needs the exercise,

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Ross123 says...
8:16pm Mon 7 Jan 13

CB FRY LIVES wrote:
Jesus_02 wrote:
Villa is a massive game. Adkins wont want toi let anything slip in terms of player selection, but I expect, RL, Clyne and Ramerez will all start
who will play in goal though.i would go gor kelvin.
boruc is a clown and gazza makes stupid errors!

davies wins hands down!!

its a no brainer !

come on kelv,

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Ross123 says...
8:17pm Mon 7 Jan 13

InCortesewetrust wrote:
Stick with boruc in goal, the cucking fat funt needs the exercise,
you obviously dont want to win the villa game then! lol

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Snebs says...
11:33pm Mon 7 Jan 13

would have liked to have seen some new signings by now. Getting worried we need to win the next four games to make any sense of the run in.

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Snebs says...
11:34pm Mon 7 Jan 13

going back to the title of this piece I would ask the question do we have a strong squad?

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