Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl admits they couldn't risk pushing Jannick Vestergaard any further.

The Danish defender, who had been in stellar form for Saints this season, could miss up to four weeks or more with a nagging knee injury, which kept him out against Fulham on Boxing Day.

Vestergaard is set to be absent for Saints' home showdown against West Ham on Tuesday (6pm).

Hasenhuttl said: “The injury of Jannik, it was an old injury from an international game where he was overstretching his leg and the knee was maybe starting to make problems.

“It was getting worse and worse and he had to stop now."