Saints will be without top scorer Charlie Austin for at least two months.

The striker limped off injured during the 1-1 draw with Huddersfield with a suspected hamstring tear.

Though Saints are waiting on a scan to determine the full extent of the damage he has suffered, Pellegrino is resigned to being without Austin for at least a couple of months.

He said: "Charlie I think he will be out more than normal, exactly now today or this evening he will have another test to analyse a little bit better his injury, the grade of his injury.

"We will see but I expect Charlie will be out for a couple of months minimum."

It leaves Pellegrino with a lack of striking options.

Austin is the Saints top scorer with six goals this season, but now Pellegrino has just Shane Long, who hasn't scored since February, and Manolo Gabbiadini, who has only netted three times during the campaign, as contenders for the spot up front.

"Yes, it is a big pity because Charlie was in a really good moment," reflected Pellegrino.

"And now in this situation, OK it is something that happens but the good news for Shane and Manolo is that they will have more minutes to compete and it’s a possibility for them."

Saints have other injury concerns for the trip to Manchester United tomorrow.

Ryan Bertrand is touch and go to be fit after missing the last two matches, but Cedric Soares is likely to miss out again.

"Ryan is the closest, but I don’t know, tomorrow we will decide if he will be ready against Man Utd," reported Pellegrino. "Cedric still needs a couple of weeks."