SAINTS boss Ralph Hasenhuttl has sent a clear message of frustration and reminded that “injuries are not COVID cases” amid potential for the upcoming Newcastle clash to be postponed.

The Austrian was asked about the possibility of Magpies’ visit to St Mary’s on Sunday, January 2, being called off, before it was then later announced Eddie Howe’s side wouldn’t play their next game.

Everton were due to host Newcastle tonight but the Premier League accepted the visitor’s request to postpone the match due to not having enough players.

However, some controversy comes from the fact that many of Howe’s absentees – including star attackers Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson – are injuries, and not COVID related.

Games being called off due to injury concerns brings a sour taste to Hasenhuttl in particular, who had to operate with as little as nine senior outfield players at points during the second-half of last season.

“Yeah, injuries are not COVID cases,” Hasenhuttl said. “Injuries for us are always there.”

“I think they (Newcastle) had in the last game eight players on the bench so they should be able to have 13+ players, which is the message from the Premier League.”

He continued: “We will prepare for this game with the players we have, and we are not moaning about it.

“We try to be as positive as we can, take the game as it is, we know this is the toughest league in the world. That’s it.”

When Saints were battered 9-0 by Manchester United in February, Alex Jankewitz and Kayne Ramsay both started while only Fraser Forster and Nathan Redmond were recognised seniors on the bench.

Under the new Premier League regulations, a request to have that match postponed would have been accepted by the league.