Lesley Ugochukwu was subbed at half-time against Man City. _(Image: PA)_
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FORMER Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher believes Saints midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu was lucky to avoid a red card on Saturday against Manchester City.
Ugochukwu, on loan from Chelsea, was replaced at half-time of Southampton's 0-0 draw against the FA Cup finalists, having already been shown a yellow card.
The Frenchman was booked after giving away a free-kick for the third time in the first half, and Gallagher thinks he got away with another bookable offence.
Despite already walking the tightrope, Ugochukwu elected to delay a Man City restart, right under referee Tim Robinson's nose.
Southampton's Lesley Ugochukwu (left) and Manchester City's Bernardo Silva battle for the ball. _(Image: Andrew Matthews/PA)_ READ: [Fernandes reportedly 'under consideration' at Premier League club](https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/25158420.fernandes-reportedly-under-consideration-premier-league-club/?rel=cl_mra)
"It's an easy decision. He goes there, he physically goes to the position to block the ball," Gallagher explained on Sky Sports' Ref Watch.
"It's not as if he's there already and is slow at moving out. It's a second yellow for me."
Interim Saints boss Simon Rusk took no risks with his half-time substitution of Ugochukwu, replacing him with Joe Aribo.
"I just felt the nature of the way the second half might look, that there might be a key moment where he really needs to commit to a tackle," Rusk explained.
"Or there might have been a particular moment and a bit of tiredness later on. I sort of wanted to eliminate that risk, really."