Southampton's most recent outing against Leeds United in the Premier League was perhaps the golden opportunity for their crumbling campaign.

Having completed a monumentally tenacious victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge the week before, The Whites got the better of the south coast club in the latter stages of the affair, with left-back Junior Firpo latching onto the ball and striking through the hapless Gavin Bazunu's legs between the sticks.

The result now means that Southampton are five points adrift of safety after 24 matches, whereas clinching a successive victory would have veered Ruben Selles' men outside of the relegation zone.

And with a massive fixture against Leicester City, who are only three points clear of danger themselves, up next, Selles must consider tinkering with his team to ensure past mistakes do not creep in once again, with every match pivotal in ensuring a climb up the table is forthcoming.

Should Selles ditch Bednarek?

At the start of the campaign, Bednarek was signed by Southampton's divisional rivals Aston Villa on a one-year loan deal to combat the long-term injury to Diego Carlos, but after making just four appearances he was recalled before the close of the January transfer window.

However, since returning to the St. Mary's Stadium to help his parent club preserve top-flight status across the second half of the campaign, Bednarek has started the past four Premier League matches in succession.

And against Leeds, with the match finely balanced heading into the closing stages of the contest, former Barcelona star Firpo found space in the box after latching onto Jack Harrison's ball, with Bednarek failing to assert his authority and repel the danger.

Detailing his thoughts on the strike that could prove detrimental to Saints' survival bid, The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell said: "Bednarek actually makes himself smaller so Bazunu has a clear sight of the shot and it goes under him. Really poor all-round."

Granted, in the previous week, the Polish titan produced a massive display to ensure the backline held the unwavering resolve that prohibited Chelsea from finding the back of the net in their own backyard, recording a match rating of 7.6, as per Sofascore, but given that one week later his faltering presence resulted in a loss in a definitive fixture, Selles might well be considering dropping the ace.

One week prior, during an inexplicable home defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers despite the away side contesting most of the match with ten men, Bednarek was at fault again, diverting the ball into his own net to restore parity for his opposition before they secured a late winner.

Tanswell was also on hand to lament the dud, saying: "That is an absolute howler of an own goal from Jan Bednarek. He has a penchant for them."

And with Armel Bella-Kotchap recently returning from injury and Mohammed Salisu poised for a comeback from his own setback, Bednarek might find his inclusion in the starting fold less frequent over the coming months.

Mistakes and lapses of concentration are simply inconceivable in Selles' mind right now; the fight to stave off the threat of tumbling into the second tier will soon appear insurmountable if the outfit cannot maintain a touching distance to the periphery of the bottom three.

And with Leicester travelling to St. Mary's next time out, anything other than three points could result in a hurdle too great for Saints.

And if Bednarek cannot maintain his focus in key moments, all the clearances and interceptions will do little to calm the turbulent waters that roil into life upon each conceded goal, and for that reason, the 26-year-old must be dropped.