Southampton manager Mark Hughes confirmed in his pre-match press conference for the vital Premier League clash against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Thursday night that Mario Lemina and Sofiane Boufal will miss out through injury and illness respectively, but Saints fans feel that there is more to their absence than meets the eye.

Considering the talent the duo clearly have, they have been two of the south coast outfit's most disappointing performers in what has been a difficult season for the club, and both have found it difficult to gain a spot in the starting XI under Hughes in the last few matches, with Lemina struggling in the 3-0 defeat against West Ham United in which he came under heavy critcism from fans on Twitter for his display.

Now the pair will miss what looks to be a must-win game for the club against the Foxes and former manager Claude Puel, and the St Mary's faithful feel that their absence perhaps is down to their attitude, rather than injury and illness.

Southampton supporters were quick to have their say on the two players via social media, and while one said "I think it's code for the fact that they've been told not to bother coming back in", another said they are "obviously not up for the fight".

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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