Austin is in fine goalscoring form so far.
Southampton’s Charlie Austin celebrates scoring their first goal
Southampton manager Claude Puel has said he doesn’t want to play Charlie Austin in all of his games, despite the forward’s impressive run of form, the Daily Echo reports.
Austin added another two goals to his tally this season in a 3-1 win over Burnley, and he could’ve had more as he stretched his run to seven goals in his last six games.
Southampton manager Claude Puel
Puel wants to maintain his striker’s fitness and the Saints have embarked on another busy period of fixtures, with the win over Burnley the first of seven games in 21 days.
He’s quoted in the Daily Echo, saying: “It’s important he don’t play all the games with the team because after it is an injury and it’s important we don’t lose Charlie. It’s important we develop every time and we keep a good physical level for every player.
“Charlie is not an endurance player, it’s important to keep him and his qualities and we can change every time the team since many games.
Southampton’s Charlie Austin celebrates scoring their first goal
“For example, in September we got good results with this, and it’s important we can see not just some players but all the squad have a good answer.
“It’s important to respect all the squad because it’s not possible for me for the players to start every three games.”
It’s a huge period in Southampton’s season as they look to continue their recent good form and really establish themselves in the top half of the table, and a double-header against Inter Milan in the Europa League takes on a huge importance, while a the EFL Cup is a possible avenue to silverware.
Puel wants to get the best out of his main goalscoring threat at the moment, but he is keen to preserve his fitness over the course of the season and doesn’t want him to burn out. Keeping him fit across the entire campaign looks crucial for the Saints right now.
Southampton manager Claude Puel as Charlie Austin is substituted
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