‘He was immediately shouting ”My knee, my knee”‘:: Southampton fearing the worst for Danny Ings

Danny Ings will have a scan on his knee on Monday with Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl fearing the England striker has suffered another significant injury.

Ings, who scored the fourth goal in his side’s 4-3 victory at Aston Villa, sustained the damage in a challenge late in the game from Villa substitute Trezeguet and had to be replaced.

Hasenhuttl said: ‘It doesn’t look good. It was right in front of me and we know his history with knees. We hope it is not too bad an injury but we must have a look at the scan.

Danny Ings was taken off five minutes from the end of normal time after Trezeguet’s challenge

Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl admitted he is concerned about star striker Ings

‘He overstretched his knee which is always dangerous and he was immediately shouting ”My knee, my knee.”’

Ings, 28, has shown outstanding form since the start of last season but his career at Liverpool was severely disrupted by knee problems: a cruciate knee ligament injury in 2015, and cartilage damage in 2016, which led to two long spells on the sidelines.

Ings had crowned a superb all-round display with a goal from outside the box early in the second half, which put his side 4-0 up after Jannik Vestergaard’s header and James Ward-Prowse’s pair of free-kicks.

Ings drove home his side’s final goal as they went 4-1 up before two late Aston Villa strikes

Hasenhuttl confirmed the striker would have a scan to see how serious his injury is on Monday

But Villa rallied after the break with Tyrone Mings heading in Jack Grealish’s cross and then Ollie Watkins – from the penalty spot – and Grealish on target in stoppage time.

Ings is Southampton’s biggest attacking threat and scored 22 times in the Premier League last season, with Jamie Vardy bagging 23 to pip Ings and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to the Golden Boot. 

Ings already has seven strikes to his name this season in the top flight and Hasenhuttl will hope to have his talisman back fit sooner rather than later as the third-placed Saints look to continue their unlikely march up the table.