FLORIN Gardos' rotten luck with injuries has once again caught up with him on loan at Romanian side Craiova.

The 29-year-old made just 18 appearances for Saints in more than three-and-a-half years because of a series of injuries.

The centre-back regained fitness this season but, with opportunities scarce at Saints, joined Craiova in February in an attempt to move on from a torrid time at St Mary's.

But now his injury curse has struck again, with Gardos reportedly unlikely to play again this season after suffering a 'muscular rupture' in a 3-3 with FC Viitorul in Liga I, Romania's top-flight.

Gardos' contract at Saints is up in the summer and it is extremely unlikely he'll return to the south coast.

It is expected he will receive treatment at Craiova before finding a new club at the end of his Saints contract, which expires on June 30 this year.

The Romania international joined Saints in the summer of 2014, moving for £6m from Steaua Bucharest.

He was hampered by persistent injuries throughout his Saints career, and the last of his 11 Premier League appearances came over three years ago – in a 1-0 win at West Bromwich Albion on 28 February 2015.

He suffered a horror cruciate ligament injury in July 2015 in a pre-season friendly against Feyenoord and missed 42 games as a result.

Gardos returned for the club’s under-21s side, but the luckless Romanian then suffered a set-back in July 2016 and wasn’t able to make a first-team appearance until a 5-0 defeat to Arsenal in the FA Cup in January 2017.

It is estimated Gardos will have cost Saints £680,000 per appearance by the time his contract ends.

Gardos was withdrawn in the 30th minute of the 3-3 draw on Saturday with Viitorul. It was his fourth appearance for Craiova.