Morgan Schneiderlin Injury: Updates on Southampton Star's Adductor and Return

Morgan Schneiderlin has withdrawn from international duty with France due to a hip injury. It's a blow that could not only hinder the second-place team in the Premier League, Southampton, but one that might also hurt Schneiderlin's hopes for a transfer.

The 25-year-old defensive midfielder is on his way back to England's south coast for treatment, according to SaintsFC.co.uk writer Jim Lucas: "The French Football Federation announced that the Southampton midfielder this morning underwent a scan on a problem with his right adductor, and was subsequently declared unfit for next week’s game in Marseille."

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Southampton boss Ronald Koeman will certainly hope Schneiderlin isn't sidelined for a prolonged spell. Along with Kenyan powerhouse Victor Wanyama, Schneiderlin has formed a rugged barrier at the base of the Saints midfield.

That two-man wall is the main reason Southampton boast the stingiest defence in England's top flight. Koeman's team has surrendered just five goals in 11 games, per PremierLeague.com.

Schneiderlin has been a key figure, a quality that consistently sees him linked with a move away. He recently told Get French Football News (h/t Daily Star reporter Colin Harvey) that he still covets a transfer: "A career goes by very quickly. My aim is to play for a big club. Today I'm at Southampton."

Arsenal are regularly mentioned as a chief suitor, per Daily Mirror reporter John Cross. Schneiderlin could possibly answer the club's long-standing need for a defensive midfielder.

However, this injury could scupper those hopes. If Schneiderlin is out for a while, then the real damage will be done to Southampton's bid to stay in the top four.