Bought with so much promise from Lille last summer very late on, Sofiane Boufal’s first season at Southampton has been more miss than hit.
Arriving with a knee injury, the forward took time to recover, before injuring himself once again before going on international duty for the Africa Cup of Nations, meaning he only managed 15 starts throughout the season.
His return from 30 appearances overall was just two goals and one assist, with many Saints fans expecting a lot more from their record transfer.
And there’s even more bad news for them, as the Morocco international has pulled out from his national team squad once again with an injury picked up during the friendly against Holland last week.
There was no indication as to the severity of the injury, but the fact he had to return to Southampton even with a 10 day gap between the Holland game and the upcoming Cameroon one suggested it might not just have been a slight niggle.
However, Sport Witness has learnt the injury is really nothing to worry about, with Boufal only slightly spraining his ankle, and he should be fit in about a week or so.
That means the 23-year-old, barring any other injuries, should be able to get a full pre-season under his belt for Southampton, which will help him ahead of the upcoming season.
The talent is there, he just needs the consistency.
