Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at how Southampton could line up for Saturday’s Premier League clash with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
Southampton manager Russell Martin has received an untimely defensive blow for Saturday’s daunting Premier League fixture against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
Jack Stephens‘s original three-game ban for his red card against Manchester United would have run its course this weekend, but the long-serving centre-back has now been handed an additional two-game suspension for using abusive language towards the officials.
Stephens is one of three guaranteed Saints absentees for Saturday’s game alongside Kamaldeen Sulemana (ankle) and Gavin Bazunu (Achilles), but Will Smallbone (thigh) has a slim chance of coming back into the ranks.
Martin may have thought about switching to a five-man defence had Stephens been available, but the Southampton boss should now stick with the same four-man backline from Monday’s 3-1 defeat to Bournemouth.
Charlie Taylor, Yukinari Sugawara, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Jan Bednarek are therefore primed to protect Aaron Ramsdale, who will become the ninth ex-Arsenal goalkeeper to face the Gunners in the Premier League.
However, Martin could make sweeping alterations further forward, as none of Ryan Fraser, Lesley Ugochukwu or Maxwel Cornet lasted 45 minutes on Monday evening, and it would be a surprise to see any of them start this one.
Joe Aribo was a bit of a bright spark off the bench at the Vitality Stadium and is a contender to join Adam Lallana and Flynn Downes in a rejigged midfield, with Mateus Fernandes operating slightly further forward.
The highly-rated Tyler Dibling should not be under any threat of losing his place, and the teenage starlet could find himself alongside Ben Brereton Diaz if Martin decides that the Saints need a physical presence up top.
Southampton possible starting lineup:
Ramsdale; Sugawara, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Taylor; Downes, Aribo, Lallana; Fernandes; Dibling, Brereton Diaz
> Click here to see how Arsenal could line up for this clash
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