MANAGER Ralph Hasenhuttl admitted Saints midfielder Stuart Armstrong would not be an option for Saturday’s Premier League showdown at Chelsea.

The former Celtic star last week tested positive for coronavirus while on international duty with Scotland – meaning has been forced to isolate for a 10-day period.

Armstrong’s quarantine comes to an end on Friday, giving him just a day to stake his claim in Saints’ starting line-up for the battle at Stamford Bridge.

Asked for an update on the 28-year-old, Hasenhuttl said: “I do not think that he will be an option for the weekend.

"He cannot train with us and has been in quarantine. It's a pity that he is out now. Nobody else has tested positive and we are all fine.

"I hope he is back in on Friday and then Saturday, so that he can be an option for next weekend."

The Saints manager is also set to be without winger Moussa Djenepo, after he sustained a hamstring issue in the 2-0 victory over West Brom last time out.

Hasenhuttl said: “He had a problem with his hamstring in the first half – he even scored with this problem. It was at the beginning of the game.

“When we see the scans now, it’s definitely an injury, and this is the biggest problem for Moussa all the time.

“This is something we have to work on with him, because he has some physical deficiencies. There is always a push back every time he makes a step into the team, and this is a problem for us.”