SAINTS manager Ruben Selles has explained the reasoning behind the recent absences of wingers Mislav Orsic and Samuel Edozie.

Orsic, who signed from Dinamo Zagreb in January, is yet to start for Saints in the Premier League and hasn’t even appeared on the bench in any of his side’s last six league games.

The Croatian has three starts in the FA Cup and League Cup - most recently in defeat to Grimsby Town - but in each of those games he has been removed around the hour-mark with little lasting impact.

And speaking ahead of Wednesday night’s clash with Brentford, Selles explained the 30-year-old’s absence while highlighting the work he’s put in behind the scenes.

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“He's working hard. He's very professional,” Selles said. “At the end of the day, as I said in the beginning, every time we will sit here we will talk about a player that is not in the squad, because it's very big. And sometimes it's about my decision. And with Mislav, it's my decision to bring some other players in front of him. 

“We’ve had a conversation. I communicated with him. I respect all of them (players not in the squad), including Mislav. And they try to be clear with my point of view every time. So there is no more or no less than the others. And then in the end of the day, I need to decide and that's what they do.”

Meanwhile, another player who has raised eyebrows with his lack of action is youngster Edozie. After a slow start to his Saints career, the former Manchester City attacker was one of few members of the squad to excel under the stewardship of Nathan Jones.

With the former Luton boss at the helm, Edozie appeared in eight straight league games while starting five of those. But since Selles took charge for Saints trip to Stamford Bridge, Edozie is yet to make the matchday squad.

“I can imagine that it is difficult for him,” Selles said of the 20-year-old’s recent spell out of the first team fold. 

“I have had a couple of conversations with him and I understand that it is difficult. When we make a squad we need in his positions a specific behavior and that's where we are trying to find him. 

“So when we think that he's ready to play in the conditions and in the situations that we think he can do it and he can do it really good for us, then he will step inside. But again it's like with Mislav [Orsic] or with other players left out of the squad. 

“I have 30 players and I need to make decisions and I need to make decisions concerning what is best for the team, not what is best for one individual.”