Walcott and Tella ruled out of season opener

After an action-packed pre-season for the Saints, attention turns back to the league, with the duo joining long-term absentee Tino Livramento on the sidelines.

“Theo Walcott has not had pre-season so far,” Hasenhüttl confirmed. “He is not back in training.

“Nathan Tella was also out with injury for a little while, he was training today for the first time so he will also not be available for the weekend.”

Having already made six signings in the transfer window, none of Saints’ latest acquisitions have featured in the Premier League before, with an adaptation period potentially needed for some.

“We know the kind of players we get; they have a lot of fantasy. They can help us immediately or some take a little longer.

“We have seen it in the past that some players need a year to adapt to the Premier League, some are so good that it goes quicker. We will not see all of the new players immediately from the start. They are young, they have to learn.”