Predicted Southampton Line-up To Face Manchester United In The Premier League
Southampton will face their biggest test so far, this season, when they welcome Manchester United to the St. Mary’s Stadium, in game-week 6 of the Premier League, on Saturday.
The Saints sit 9th in the league table after 5 games, with 8 points so far, with two wins and two draws. They come into the game on the back of a 1-0 win away at Crystal Palace last weekend. Having been eliminated from the Carabao Cup in the second round itself, they did not have any game this midweek, meaning Mauricio Pellegrino will have a fresher squad as compared to his opponents this weekend.
Team News
Striker Charlie Austin is the only doubt for Pellegrino, due to a knock he picked up.
Here’s how the Saints could possibly line up against Jose Mourinho’s Red Devils on Saturday:
Manager: Mauricio Pellegrino
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Fraser Forster (GK)
The England international is the undisputed No.1 at the St. Mary’s and will start the game on Saturday.
Cedric Soares (RB)
The Portuguese right-back is a consistent performer for the Saints and should continue to feature from the kick-off.
Jack Stephens (CB)
The young defender did not start last weekend, with Maya Yoshida being preferred. However, he could make his way back into the starting XI against United.
Wesley Hoedt (CB)
The summer signing has settled in nicely and performed well in the last two games. Should keep his place in the playing XI, given that Virgil van Dijk is still not completely sharp.
Ryan Bertrand (LB)
The left-back slot will continue to be occupied by Ryan Bertrand. The England international is another solid performer for Southampton, week in week out, and the manager will be hoping for more of the same from him.
Oriol Romeu (CM)
The Spaniard has developed into a very good defensive midfielder in the last year or so. Will have an eye on keeping Henrikh Mkhitaryan quiet.
Mario Lemina (CM)
The summer recruit from Juventus put on a stellar display against Palace last weekend, showing off his all-round abilities. A definite starter.
Dusan Tadic (RW)
The Serbian is the creative hub for the South Coast club in the attacking third. He is likely to start on the right-hand side.
Steven Davis (CAM)
The captain scored the only goal against Palace and would want to continue in a similar run of form against United.
Nathan Redmond (LW)
The Englishman hasn’t been able to hit his strides as of yet this season, but could be spurred to perform well against a team like United.
Manolo Gabbiadini (ST)
The former Napoli man has cut a frustrated figure at times this season, with the lack of adequate service coming his way. But he will draw inspiration from his performance against United in the EFL Cup final in February earlier this year.