Southampton boss Nigel Adkins played down the absence of Adam Lallana for defeat to Sunderland.

Southampton looking devoid of ideas going forward without influential captain Lallana, who picked up a knee injury against Reading last time out.

"It can't be about one player," Adkins said. "Every team is going to have players that are missing.

"You have got to have a strong enough group of players that can go and contribute. Who is to say if Adam had played it would have been any different?

"We played Gaston Ramirez on the left-hand side, where he plays for Uruguay and does that very well. We can't just turn around and say that losing one player caused the result."