CLAUDE PUEL has challenged his Southampton squad to cope with the loss of injured striker Charlie Austin and produce a swift response from their Europa League disappointment when they entertain Middlesbrough on Sunday.

Austin is set for an unspecified spell on the sidelines after being substituted in the first half of Thursday night's 1-1 draw with Hapoel Be'er Sheva at St Mary's, which ended the Saints' hopes of progress through to the knockout stage.

Puel confirmed the extent of Austin's injury, to the same shoulder he has twice had surgery on, had not yet been fully assessed when he faced the media this morning as his squad regrouped for Sunday's visit of Boro.

"For the moment, I don't have all the news. He's not available for Sunday and we will see later what the full answer is and how long he will be out for," said Puel.

"It is a disappointment for him because he has had a good first part of the season, but it's important for the team to have a good answer with a different offensive player.

"We will see the quality of other players. We are a group, a collective, and it is important to consider all of this, not individual things."

Serbian midfielder Dusan Tadic could feature against Boro having come off the bench on Thursday night following his return from a broken nose, while Puel could also bring back captain Jose Fonte along with Jay Rodriguez and Sofiane Boufal.