IT WAS another weekend to forget for Steve Wigley.

Not only did his team lose 3-0 at Manchester United, but his captain James Beattie came off injured on the day he hinted he could leave St Mary's for good.

Beattie limped off after 21 minutes gone with a recurrence of the calf strain that saw him miss the previous week's Crystal Palace draw.

Wigley is hoping he will only miss one game - next Saturday's home clash with Middlesbrough.

But possibly worse news had come earlier in the day with the publication in a national newspaper of an interview with Beattie in which he said Saints will sell him for the right price and hinted he is ready to move.

Everton and Aston Villa have continually been linked for a move for the striker when the transfer window opens in January and the timing of this interview, as well as the content, suggests he may be ready to leave.

Beattie said: "If the chairman is prepared to sell me then I've got to have a look at it, although I've had six great years here.

"I've been good for the club and the club has been good for me and it would be a very amicable split if we were to go our separate ways."

He added: "The chairman's stance has always been that if he gets the right offer then I can leave.

"In the summer he was very close and on deadline day he got an offer that suited but he wouldn't sell me because it was too late to get a replacement.

"It annoyed me a bit because the chairman was trying to hold out for as much money as he could.

"I suppose that's the way it is - we're all assets, aren't we?

"This has happened to me twice now, all this transfer speculation. You're moving here, you're moving there, it does do your head in a little bit, whatever you say.

"My dad's been in and had a word with the chairman. He wanted to hear about the situation first hand. My dad got a little annoyed in the summer with how things were handled."

Wigley said he would not comment on the story until he had spoken to Beattie.

However, speaking of his injury, he said: "When you lose your front line striker like we did it's a blow.

"He's been carrying the injury all week but we thought he was over it - I'm just hoping he's not out for too long now, hopefully just a week or two."