Southampton will face Norwich City away from home on Friday, and the Saints will look to put some gap between themselves and the relegation spots.
Seven points separate the side from the bottom three, but with games coming quick and fast, they could very well be pulled into a relegation dogfight.
In the reverse fixture at St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton beat Norwich 2-1, thanks to goals from Danny Ings and Ryan Bertrand. Before the Premier League was suspended, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side were in terrible form, and had lost four of their previous five games.
With games against Arsenal, Everton, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Sheffield United in the coming weeks, Southampton have to win against the likes of Norwich.
Southampton Team News
Young winger Moussa Djenepo will be suspended for this game, after having been sent off in the loss against Newcastle United. Shane Long could be another doubt for the Saints, but the rest of the players in the squad should be fit to face Norwich.
Let’s take a look at the team that Hasenhuttl may put out this Friday.
Predicted Southampton Lineup vs Norwich City
Goalkeeper
Alex McCarthy should start for the Saints in goal, despite Angus Gunn showing good form in the warm-up games before this weekend’s Premier League game.
Defence
Jack Stephens and Jan Bednarek should play as the two centre-backs for Southampton, while Jannik Vestergaard is an option for Hasenhuttl.
Yan Valery has not been in great form in the few games that he has played for Southampton, but he could be given another chance in the right-back role. Over on the left-hand side, Ryan Bertrand should start at left-back.
Midfield
James Ward-Prowse and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg should play in central midfield, as they have been the preferred pairing for Hasenhuttl. Stuart Armstrong is another option in the middle of the park.
On the right-hand side, Sofiane Boufal could get a rare start, hoping to exploit Norwich’s weak defence. With Djenepo suspended, Nathan Redmond is the only option for the Saints on the left side of attack.
Attack
Danny Ings will surely start for the Saints, leading the line, while Michael Obafemi or Che Adams could play alongside him. The former has shown signs of promise and he could get the nod over Adams.
