Southampton star poised to return to Leicester City after expected transfer away
The Ghanaian international has been working his way back to fitness following a muscle injury, and Southampton manager Russell Martin has confirmed that he will be in the squad to face Leicester City.
When Southampton hosts Leicester City at St Mary’s on Friday night, Kamaldeen Sulemana will be back in the squad for the first time this season.
The Ghanaian international, who joined Saints from Rennes in January for £22 million, has been sidelined with a muscle ailment for much of the summer but has returned to training this month.
The timing is ideal for manager Russell Martin, who is hoping his team can recover from a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Sunderland at the Stadium of Light before the September international break.
Sulemana has impressed the Southampton manager so far, with the tricky winger famed for pulling off the spectacular both in training and on game days. Former Saints wideman Theo Walcott, who played with Sulemana in the second half of last season, recently praised the 21-year-old as the fastest player he’s ever played with.
“I love watching him in training,” Martin remarked. “I truly enjoy seeing him. He has a lot of talent, an astounding amount of talent. Some of his actions make me laugh. The other players occasionally roll their eyes in disbelief at some of his antics!
“But we have to make sure he can come onto the field and be in a position where we can really trust him and he can trust himself to perform.” That is getting closer. He’ll be in the squad for tomorrow, which is fantastic news for us.”
Sulemana was one of several Southampton players likely to leave during the summer, including captain James Ward-Prowse, midfield prodigy Romeo Lavia, and full-back Tino Livramento.
Despite interest from other clubs, Sulemana remained at Southampton over the deadline, with the club unwilling to let the winger leave unless clubs reached their asking price.
“I think Kamaldeen was one of the players who probably thought he was going to be in the Premier League or another top league somewhere because of the amount of interest that was shown in him,” Martin added.
“But no club ever raised the necessary funds to release Kamaldeen from here.” With that and an injury to deal with in order to get fit, it’s challenging for a young man.
There are definitely still a few [Southampton players] who are angry about the transfer window and the information they were given by certain people outside the club and then what actually happens and they end up staying, but if he [Sulemana] is frustrated, he’s been incredible.
“The energy has been fantastic. He’s a truly dynamic player with amazing talent. And it’s about getting him fit and into a position where he can have a significant impact on games for us, as well as keeping him fit.”
Southampton hosts Leicester tomorrow night (Friday) at 8 p.m. at St Mary’s. HampshireLive will be on hand to offer you with all the information you need before, during, and after the game. Use to stay up to date
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