Former Norwich defender Russell Martin has commended Super Eagles forward Paul Onuachu for his performance despite Southampton’s defeat to Liverpool over the weekend, Soccernet.ng reports.
Southampton, aiming to recover from their away loss to Wolves and keep their slim Premier League survival hopes alive, fell short as Liverpool staged a comeback victory.
Onuachu earned his first start of the 2024/25 campaign and received praise from a section of Nigerian football fans despite the defeat to Liverpool.
Martin, the former Swansea City defender and current Southampton manager, lauded Onuachu’s performance during his post-match conference and expressed hope that the forward’s injury would not sideline him for long.
“We lost Janny and Aaron, which changes the dynamic of the team because they’re two huge players for us who take a lot of responsibility with the ball, and personality-wise as well, so that is going to hurt you. But I thought the players coming in did really, really well,” Martin said via the club’s official website.
“Paul being one, I thought he was great, so hopefully he’s not too bad. He said it feels okay at the moment, so we’ll assess that.”
Onuachu was reported to have sustained a suspected ACL injury during the clash, but there is hope he will recover quickly and be available for Southampton’s next match against Brighton.