Southampton boss Russell Martin says Carlos Alcaraz is having a ‘difficult time’ right now, with the midfielder having not featured that regularly this season.
Alcaraz, 20, has played six times in the Championship this season, starting three times for Southampton who’ve started the seaosn poorly under new boss Russell Martin.
His side currently sit in 15th place of the Championship table after a run of four-straight defeats in the league, with the last being a 2-1 defeat at strugglers Middlesbrough last weekend.
Alcaraz was an unused substitute for the last outing v Middlesbrough, and it came after reports linked him with Premier League Newcastle United who are said to be among those keeping tabs on the Argentine.
And speaking to Hampshire Live about Alcaraz’s current situation, Martin said:
“I see the players every day. When you are asking people to play a certain way – Charly [Alcaraz] is a young man and doesn’t speak the language well, if at all. We are asking him to play in a team with a lot of structure and there are things he knows he needs to do better.
“I said to Gilly [Matt Gill, assistant manager] that I will get criticised for not bringing him on, but it’s about who you trust at this moment in time. You’re either all in with the team or you’re not. At the minute, Charly needs to come over to that side really.”
Martin also went on to say that Alcaraz is having a difficult time at Southampton at the minute, adding:
“It’s been a difficult time for him. He’s lost Willy [Caballero] and he’s lost Lyanco, his two best mates in the group. He’s a young man who is miles away from his home and he’s had some difficult news about his dad.
“He’s got all of that going on which people don’t see and don’t understand. We will help him through it and at some point he will be on the pitch for us and he will be fantastic, but now is not the right time while the team is struggling.”
Southampton waiting on Alcaraz
Amid this poor start to the season, Martin could really do with Alcaraz being at his best.
And it’s understandable that it’s difficult for him right now and what the near future holds for him remains to be seen. Though there’s no doubting that he’s a good player with his Newcastle links proving that.
After joining from Racing Club in January this year, Alcaraz went on to feature 18 times in the Premier League, scoring four gold and assisting two more as he shone despite Southampton’s eventual relegation.
Martin’s Saints side return to action v Leeds United this weekend, in what promises to be another testing game for the club.
