Saints Flop Told to Train Alone by Furious Mark Hughes After Dressing Room Bust-Up

Sofiane Boufal's Southampton career is in serious jeopardy after he was told to train alone following an alleged huge bust-up with manager Mark Hughes.

The winger is believed to have refused his boss' request to warm-up during the Saints' 3-2 home loss to Chelsea earlier in April - a decision which the Sun has claimed sent Hughes into a rage.

The duo are also thought to have become embroiled in a heated verbal exchange in the dressing room after the contest, and such was the severity of the fall out that Boufal was cast out of the first team picture and told to train on his own for the rest of the season.

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Sources close to Southampton have alleged that Hughes threw a water bottle in the changing room as he verbally dressed Boufal down, and it would seem that the story has legs with the 24-year-old not present in his side's last two match day squads.

The Sun's report also mentions that Hughes, who took up the reins at St.Mary's in mid-March after Mauricio Pellegrino was sacked, told the press after his side's 2-0 FA Cup semi final defeat to Chelsea last Sunday that a 'bout of illness' had forced Boufal to miss the Wembley showdown.

But it would appear that there is more than meets the eye about his absence, with the ex-Lille star posting a photograph of himself enjoying the sun in the aftermath of their loss in the capital - a picture which helped to stir the pot about what actually went on behind-the-scenes.

(You may also be interested in 4 Things We Learned From Chelsea's FA Cup Semi-Final Victory Over Southampton)

Southampton are in danger of crashing out of the Premier League as they struggle to haul themselves out of the relegation zone. The south coast club only have four matches left to save their top flight status and lie four points off 17th place amid a testing run-in.

Boufal will surely not be part of that having been banished by Hughes, and it is unclear if he has made the last of his 59 appearances to date.

The Morocco international may be given a second chance if Hughes departs in the summer following a potential relegation to the Championship, but it's more likely Boufal will move on as Southampton look to sell their highest earners to balance the books.