With the international break done and dusted, Southampton are due to take on West Ham United in their next Premier League fixture on Saturday at the London Stadium. The Saints are currently a couple of points behind the rendezvous zone.
Considering that they have some really tough fixtures up ahead, they need to make the most of their game against the Hammers who have certainly flattered to deceive this season.
Team News
Steven Davis is expected to be sidelined owing to his hamstring problem. Ryan Bertrand was pulled out of the latest England squad due to his back problems but he is seemingly likely to shake that off and feature in the upcoming league fixture for his club.
Meanwhile, Charlie Austin has recovered his thigh injury but he might be rushed into the starting line-up after his long injury lay-off. The striker would be a key figure for Hughes’ side in the business end of the season.
Here is how we expect Mark Hughes to roll out his starting line-up against West Ham United.
Goalkeeper
Alex McCarthy started the season as the deputy to Fraser Forster but the former jotted some stupendous outings while he was given opportunities to thrive and he is set to take the place under the bar yet again. He has garnered 2 clean sheets from 10 league games and has made 1.80 saves per game on an average.
Defence
Jack Stephens and Wesley Hoedt have should start at the heart of the back line of Southampton this weekend. While Stephens has been really impressive, Hoedt needs to up the ante and render more resilience to his side’s defence.
Ryan Bertrand is always a threat to the opposition when he gallops forward and he is likely to feature from the left-back slot. From the right-back position, Cedric Soares is expected to showcase his calibre once again.
Midfield
Dusan Tadic’s versatility has been a handy asset for Southampton and he has operated from a wide range of positions. He is set to start from the right side of the midfield whereas at the other side, we expect Hughes to pencil Sofiane Boufal.
Oriol Romeu and Mario Lemina are seemingly likely to be paired up for meeting Southampton’s central midfield’s needs. Both of them have impressed with their physicality and cutting edge in the middle of the park and deserve to start.
Attack
Guido Carrilo and Manolo Gabbiadini have hardly made any sort of substantial impact of late. To save Southampton from getting doomed at the end of the season, they must start to deliver in the remaining fixtures and both of them are expected to be slotted up front.
