Southampton striker Che Adams has emerged as a doubt for Saturday's Premier League encounter against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

The 26-year-old is currently the club's top scorer so far this season, netting nine times in 27 appearances across all competitions.

Only four of those have come in 20 Premier League games, though, and the Scotland international has failed to find the net in his last seven top-flight matches.

Adams was dropped to the substitutes' bench before coming on for the final 16 minutes of Southampton's 2-1 home defeat against 10-man Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend, a result that was followed by the sacking of head coach Nathan Jones.

Interim boss Ruben Selles has since revealed that Adams is doubtful for the trip to Stamford Bridge due to an unspecified issue, while there are no other fresh injury concerns.

Valentino Livramento (ACL) and Juan Larios (hamstring) both remain sidelined with long-term injuries, while goalkeeper Alex McCarthy has returned to training this week after recovering from an ankle problem.

Asked to provide a fitness update on his squad at a press conference on Friday, Selles said: "We have the injury of Juan Larios and then of Tino Livramento. These are long term injuries. A couple of boys that didn't train at the beginning of the week but have trained at the end.

"Che Adams is a doubt for tomorrow but that's it. We have a large squad to pick from and we will be ready to go with everything."

There was no mention of right-back Kyle Walker-Peters at the press conference, but the Saints have been handed a boost regarding his fitness as he was pictured in first-team training this week.

Walker-Peters has missed the last two Southampton matches since sustaining a hamstring injury in the EFL Cup semi-final second-leg clash away against Newcastle United at the end of January.

Ahead of Southampton's trip to the capital, Selles has revealed that he would like to succeed Jones and become the club's next permanent manager.

"Yes, I want to be the manager," the 39-year-old told reporters. "I think I'm capable of doing that as any other [candidate], but it is not my decision.

"It's okay for me, I just put in everything that I can. I have the team now, we're working really hard to do our best, and those are my skills. The club will have the patience to make a decision and they will, but of course I would be happy to do the job.

"I have been feeling ready the last four years, so it's no different now, it's just the scenario is bigger than it was before."

Southampton will be looking to end a three-game losing league run when they face an out-of-sorts Chelsea side who the Saints beat 2-1 at St Mary's earlier this season. body check tags ::