It may get worse for injury-hit Addicks

It was all beautifully set up. When the fixtures were released in June, Nathan Jones must have circled this one - a home clash with the club that dismissed him after just three months in charge.

He's been open about how poorly he felt treated during his brief spell at St Mary's, and you sensed he'd have loved nothing more than to get one over on the Saints.

As it turned out, he was right to play down the narrative before kick-off. His patched-up defence took one almighty beating. The Southampton fans let him have it, taunting him relentlessly, but to his credit, Jones took it on the chin.

The signs were there early. A new interim manager bounce, two straight wins and, despite their wobbly start back in the Championship, Southampton's talent pool runs deep. In front of our biggest crowd of the season, they showed their class.

We, meanwhile, were threadbare at the back. James Bree, Amari'i Bell, Reece Burke and Josh Edwards — all out. Their replacements struggled badly against a side from the south coast brimming with confidence.

The only consolation? A cold Tuesday night away at Stoke — the perfect test of character.

Hard analysis is needed now. Lessons must be learned, but it's hard to shake the feeling that things may get worse before they get better.

We await the return of our first-choice defenders, yet the forward line is also suffering, hampered by the ongoing absence of Charlie Kelman and Matty Godden.

Addicks fans — brace yourselves. This could be a long winter as we limp through these injury troubles towards the January window, desperate for reinforcements.

The Championship table remains a game of snakes and ladders. You can climb or fall in an instant. For now, we just need to steady ourselves and wait for the climb to begin.