Carlton Palmer reckons that Mohammed Salisu rejecting the chance to go to this month's African Cup of Nations is a big boost for Southampton.
Salisu was expected to be called into the Ghana squad for the tournament that gets underway this month.
But the 22-year-old opted to stay with Southampton and focus on his club.
Why did Salisu reject the chance to play for Ghana?
Salisu, valued at £9m by Transfermarkt, has made an interesting start to his international career, even though he's yet to win a cap for his country.
Salisu was first called up in November 2019, but he pulled out through injury. Some 18 months later, the defender spoke out about his situation with Ghana and said that whilst he would be proud to eventually play for his country, the time is not right.
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He went on to say that his focus is on establishing himself at Southampton, which takes priority over playing for Ghana and explains exactly why he turned down the chance to represent them at the African Cup of Nations this month.
But his decision is Southampton's gain, and Palmer said that having him around for the next month or so will be a huge boost for the Saints.
What did Palmer say about Salisu?
He told GIVEMESPORT: "It's a big boost for them, because any club that's losing players to go to the African Cup of Nations, you're looking for anything up to eight to 12 weeks, which is a massive part of the tailing of the end of the season. For Southampton, he could be crucial."
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How has Salisu performed this season?
Salisu made just 12 Premier League appearances last season but has stepped up to the plate in place of Jannik Vestergaard and formed an impressive partnership alongside Jan Bednarek this term.
He's started all but one top-flight game and was enjoying a relatively sound campaign until he received a red card against Tottenham over the festive period. Having been booked early on, the centre-back conceded a penalty for bringing down Heung Min Son just before the break and was given his marching orders.
Regardless, Salisu has been Southampton's fourth-best player according to WhoScored and whilst he'll miss out in the FA Cup this weekend through suspension, his sending off shouldn't overshadow what has been a season of progression for the Ghanaian.