MANAGER Russell Martin insists Saints need to find a way to win when Flynn Downes is not available.

Downes could miss Tuesday's trip to Leicester after Martin admitted the 25 year old will not be "rushed back" from an injury which saw him miss Saturday's defeat at Cardiff.

Southampton have only won two of the nine Championship fixtures the midfielder has missed this season. They have lost five of those games.

Their record with West Ham loanee in the side is expectedly much better with Saints claiming, on average, 2.23 points per game when he is involved.

Asked by the Daily Echo if Southampton need to alter how they play without Downes, Martin explained: "I don't think his absence means we need to change the system. 

"Maybe I need to pick the team differently when he doesn't play. But, on Saturday, it was a team that should score six or seven goals in the first half against Cardiff.

"It's frustrating. When you look back at the game, Shea Charles should come on at 1-0 and then we change the way we play a little bit

"Hindsight is a beautiful thing. At that point, I still thought there was another goal in us and we still looked such a threat.

"Listen, when Man City lose one player who plays in that pivot position, the number six (Rodri), the dynamic of that team changes completely, in the same way it does with us and Flynn.

"We have to find a way to work around that and navigate it better if he's not going to play on Tuesday. He'll be back for the run-in and the moments that become really important."