Southampton dealt major blow as 191-appearance star to miss Liverpool, Tottenham and Aston Villa games

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Southampton will be without their captain against Liverpool later this month

Southampton captain Jack Stephens is set to be banned for the Carabao Cup quarter-final clash against Liverpool later this month after being sent off for violent conduct against Chelsea on Wednesday night.

The 30-year-old pulled Marc Cucurella's hair during the Premier League clash at St Marys’ Stadium. The offence was not originally seen by the on-field officials with VAR checking the incident for possible violent conduct. Chelsea led 3-1 at the time, with Stephens sent off after an on-field review was recommended by Stockley Park. The Blues went on to win 5-1 and cut Liverpool’s lead at the top of the Premier League to seven points after the Reds’ drew 3-3 at Newcastle United.

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Any red cards for violent conduct result in an immediate three-game ban meaning Stephens will miss Premier League games with Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur as well as the League Cup meeting with Liverpool. Straight red cards in the Premier League carry over into other domestic competitions, whereas bans for accumulating yellow cards are competition specific. Stephens will miss a total of four games as the sending off was his second of the season. FA rules state that players who are sent off a second time in a season will have an extra game added to their suspension, meaning he will not play for Southampton against Fulham later this month.

Saints boss Russell Martin said afterwards: "I don't think anyone has been as disappointed as Jack. I haven't got to sit down with him and talk about that at all. I think he'll be hurt more than anyone but it's changed the game for us tonight which is disappointing. He's been amazing for us. I think they have to describe it as violent conduct; it’s not violent really but there’s no other explanation for that really. It’s a moment of madness that’s really cost us and Jack.”

Stephens has played 191 times for Southampton since joining the club in 2013. He featured in the 3-2 loss against Liverpool late last month as Mohamed Salah struck from the penalty spot to turn the game around for the Reds.

The defeat cranked up the pressure on Martin ahead of the Carabao Cup clash with Liverpool. Southampton were booed off at full-time as Martin reflected: “When they see such a big scoreline and a couple of the goals we concede, I understand it (the jeers). It’s football, it’s emotive, people feel so much about it, it’s why it’s such a special sport in this country and so big. I understand it but I feel really proud of the players tonight, some of the football we played at 11 v 11 was amazing. For an hour with 10 men we’ve dug in so deep, there were some big performances. I’m proud of them for that and I’m grateful for that because that’s not easy in that circumstance.”

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