It was something of a surprise to see Michael Obafemi’s name nowhere near the teamsheet when Southampton announced their starting XI on Saturday ahead of their game against Crystal Palace.

The youngster started over Danny Ings on Boxing Day against Chelsea and he vindicated his manager’s decision to give him a run-out against the Blues as he netted the Saints’ second goal against the London club in their 2-0 win.

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Of course, there was more to it than Obafemi simply being dropped by Ralph Hasenhuttl as the club’s official Twitter account quickly confirmed that he was out with an illness.

It’s never good to hear that anyone has had to miss a match through injury or illness, but this is perhaps the worst possible timing for the Irishman.

Obafemi was just coming off the back of the biggest moment of his career so far as he netted a vital goal at Stamford Bridge.

However, rather than being presented the opportunity to build on that goal he’s had to sit out of the next game against Palace.

Not only is it a bad time due to his form, but it’s also a bad time of year for this to happen. The fixtures come thick and fast and Southampton’s next is in just four days – it remains to be seen whether Obafemi can recover in time to make the New Year’s Day clash with Tottenham.

Perhaps more significantly, Ings managed to find the net in his absence against the Eagles, so there’s no guarantee the Stamford Bridge strike will be enough to earn Obafemi a place back in the team once he’s available again.

Youngsters always need a bit of luck here in there to force their way into senior Premier League squads and the Chelsea performance felt like a real coming of age moment.

But this injury is a real blow and it remains to be seen when the 19-year-old will get another opportunity to prove himself.

In other news, Saints seem to be chasing a player who would be perfect for their manager.