Harwood-Bellis, Stephens and Archer: Latest Southampton injury news and returns dates ahead of Burnley match

Southampton can take a break from the pressure of the Premier League relegation battle this weekend when they face Championship promotion contenders Burnley in the fourth round of the FA Cup – but they will have to take the Clarets on without the help of several injured first-team players.

Manager Ivan Jurić has provided updates on the fitness of a handful of players, and while there are question marks over the availability of players like Cameron Archer and Ryan Fraser, we now know that several key men, including Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Jack Stephens, will miss out.

We’ve got all of the latest injury news and updates for the Saints ahead of the Burnley game below, along with anticipated return dates when they’re available.

Stephens & Harwood-Bellis among those missing out

Jurić came bearing bad news when spoke to the media on Thursday, and perhaps the most concerning update concerns midfielder Stephens, who had only just come back from injury to come on as a substitute in the 2-1 win over Ipswich Town but now faces another lengthy lay-off.

Jurić told the press after the Ipswich game that he was “not optimistic” about the captain’s calf problem, but did at least have a slightly sunnier outlook on his condition by the end of the week, telling the media that the injury was “not really bad like I feared”. He did, however, confirm that Stephens will be out for at least two weeks, and a month may be a more likely timeframe for his return.

Harwood-Bellis, meanwhile, had to come off at half-time of the Ipswich game due to what Jurić confirmed was an ankle injury. “Things are not going well” with his recovery, apparently, and he has been ruled out of the Burnley game, while the club “will see” whether he can be ready for next weekend’s Premier League fixture against Bournemouth.

Long-term injury victim Ross Stewart is also no closer to a return, with no return date set following a serious calf injury and no updates on his rehabilitation being made public.

Archer, Fraser & Downes among doubts

While only three players have been definitively ruled out, there are still doubts over the chances that several other players feature, with Ryan Fraser, Cameron Archer and Flynn Downes among the players facing a late fitness test ahead of Saturday’s match at St. Mary’s.

Striker Cameron Archer will probably miss out again courtesy of an adductor strain, while Fraser seems to be the next most likely to miss out, with a knock following a two-minute cameo against former side Newcastle United – his only league action since December – ruling him out of last week’s game at Portman Road. Jurić told the media that it was not a major injury, but he is a major doubt for Burnley.

Meanwhile, defender Ryan Manning and midfielder Flynn Downes, both of whom are carrying knocks, will be assessed on Friday to determine whether they can play, with both considered a coin toss for the Saints’ FA Cup tie. Nathan Gordon-Wood, who also missed last week’s match, has been passed fit to play however.