Saints boss Claude Puel had some welcome news on the injury front as his side prepare to face the league leaders.
Southampton manager Claude Puel
Speaking to the club’s official website, Southampton manager Claude Puel has given an update on the fitness of several of his key players ahead of Saturday’s visit of Liverpool.
He confirmed that up to five of his regular first team men who had been doubtful should be available for selection, with only a couple of players now not expected to make it.
“I think we can recover many players,” Puel said. “I think it’s okay for Fraser [Forster] and Pierre [Hojberg] also. They have some injuries in the last week, but they should be fine.”
“Ryan [Bertrand] is okay and [Dusan] Tadić had an injury to his nose, but he spoke with the medical team already and should be fine for Saturday’s game,” he added.
Southampton’s Dusan Tadic celebrates scoring their second goal
That news will be welcomed by Southampton supporters, who must have been concerned when Fraser Forster and Pierre-Emile Hojberg returned early from international duty due to knocks.
Puel then supplied a further boost when he revealed that Cedric Soares will also be in contention for the first time since the goalless draw with Leicester at the start of October.
Southampton’s Cedric Soares in action with West Ham United’s Dimitri Payet
The news is not so positive for Shane Long, however, for whom Saturday comes too soon.
“Cédric will come back, and Shane Long has come back into the training sessions, but it’s too soon for this game,” Puel said.
The Frenchman went on to confirm that young left-back Matt Targett would also be absent for this weekend’s clash.
Overall, however, the international break seems to have come at a good time for Saints.
They have had to draw on their squad depth in recent weeks due to knocks and the sheer number of games they have had to cope with – their EFL Cup run combined with Europa League fixtures saw Puel’s side play seven matches in three weeks prior to the international break.
Southampton’s Fraser Forster
The return of such key players is well-timed, coming as it does before the clash with the league leaders.
Liverpool have been in scintillating form at times this season and fired six past Watford a fortnight ago. The Saints themselves got a taste of what Klopp’s side can be capable of in last season’s League Cup, when the Reds left St Mary’s with a 6-1 win.
Southampton did, however, beat Liverpool in the Premier League meeting between the two sides last season, overturning a 2-0 half time deficit to claim a memorable 3-2 victory.
Liverpool’s Sadio Mane returns to St Mary’s for the first time since leaving in the summer
The man who scored a brace that day, Saido Mane, returns to St Mary’s for the first time since his summer departure as a key part of Liverpool’s exciting attack.
The winger joins fellow ex-Saints Adam Lallana, Nathaniel Clyne and Dejan Lovren in the Reds line-up, but despite seeing so many key players leave in recent seasons Southampton continue to impress.
Who would you pick in your Saints starting XI this weekend? Can Puel’s men defeat the league leaders? Leave your thoughts and predictions below.
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