The Saints had been on a fantastic run of success in the Championship, going 25 games undefeated before losing 3-1 away to Bristol City on Tuesday night. The Robins scored three second-half goals to finish an excellent run that began in September with a 3-1 victory over promotion rivals Leeds United at St. Mary’s Stadium.
Southampton had been sitting in the last automatic promotion spot until the midweek result, when Daniel Farke’s Whites moved into second position after a seven-game winning streak of their own since the turn of the year.
Martin’s side now faces another difficult road game at The Hawthorns tonight. West Bromwich Albion have won three of their previous five league matches and have the third-best defensive record in England’s second tier, conceding 29 goals in 31 games.
Nonetheless, Martin believes that the return of Downes and Adams will benefit Southampton. During his pre-match news conference, the head coach gave an update on the duo’s recovery [quotes via the Southern Daily Echo]:
“Both will be quite close. We’ll have to wait and see if they’re involved.
“They are both recuperating well, so we hope they will be involved. If not, they won’t be that far away.”
Writer’s perspective
This is good news for Southampton and Martin, who face a tough struggle with Ipswich Town and Leeds to finish in the automatic promotion positions. Downes has been crucial for Martin in the center of the park this season, while Adams has