Southampton coach defends Aribo’s absence

After failing to feature in the third consecutive match for Southampton, coach Nathan Jones has blamed Joe Aribo’s absence on the availability of a lot of players competing for the midfield position in the team.

Since arriving on the South Coast from Rangers in the summer, Aribo started 10 of Southampton’s first 14 Premier League matches but his minutes have dried up since Jones replaced Ralph Hasenhuttl just before the World Cup.

According to Daily Echo, Aribo has started only once in the league under the former Luton Town boss and he failed to get on the pitch in each of his side’s last three games. He did play 87 minutes of the Saints’ 2-1 FA Cup win at Crystal Palace but that performance hasn’t led to increased opportunities.

But Jones has insisted that the 26-year-old is merely a victim of the numbers in his position and the emergence of James Ward-Prowse as an attacking midfield option.

Jones said: “We’ve got a lot of midfield players, a lot of people. So we’re just trying to find a balance in there where we get the best out of everyone.

“Joe has been a little bit of a victim but he’s played well. He came into the game against Crystal Palace the other day and had an impact.

“We’ve had a few out, we’ve had a few people come back in, we’ve had a lot of games, we’ve played James Ward-Prowse in an advanced position and he scored goals so that’s kind of Joe’s position.

“So he’s been a victim of a few things really but looks, we like Joe and Joe trains hard. He’s a great character in terms of everything. So it takes time, you know, and as I said, we’re in the thick of it now in terms of games so I’m sure Joe will contribute.”