Chelsea midfielder, Lesley Ugochukwu, who is on loan has erased all references to Southampton from his Instagram after his omission from the squad for Friday’s 1-1 draw against Brighton.
The 20-year-old, signed by Chelsea from Rennes in a £23.1 million transfer last year, joined Southampton on a season-long loan in August.
Despite his potential, the French player has found limited opportunities under Russell Martin, starting just two of the club’s 13 Premier League matches this season.
He was not included in Southampton’s squad for the Brighton fixture, and fans noticed on Saturday that he had removed any mention of the club from his Instagram profile.
The player will also be unavailable for Southampton’s upcoming league match against Chelsea on Wednesday due to eligibility rules.
Given the lack of playing time, Chelsea might consider recalling him during the January transfer window.
Earlier in September, Martin expressed confidence in the midfielder’s development following his first start in Southampton’s 3-0 loss to Manchester United.
‘I thought he was good. I think he’ll get better and better,’ Martin said.
‘I think he is understanding what we want, and what we require from him will continue to grow. So yeah, I thought he was good.
‘He got a bit tired as well. He’d been injured for a while at Chelsea last season and then he came back and was knackered after 60 minutes against Cardiff.
‘Being away on international duty, although he didn’t play, being away is different, your routine, the way you train. He did well and he’s going to be really good.’
