Leicester City travel to the south coast to face Southampton in an important relegation six-pointer, with only six points separating the two sides.
Both sides were on the wrong end of cup upsets this week, with Championship side Blackburn Rovers knocking out Leicester and League Two side Grimsby Town stunning Southampton to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
The Saints picked up a vital three points as they beat Chelsea 1-0 to move within four points of moving out of the bottom three but were disappointed last time out as they lost 1-0 to Leeds United in an important game at the bottom of the league. They face a Leicester side who are only three points above the relegation zone and will be keen to move clear this weekend.
The Foxes picked up two important wins against Aston Villa and Tottenham but have since then lost to Arsenal and Manchester United which has sucked them back towards the bottom.
In the reverse fixture at the beginning of the season, Southampton came from behind to beat Leicester, with Che Adams scoring a brace after James Maddison had given Leicester the lead.
Recently Leicester have enjoyed their away trips to Southampton, with the Foxes unbeaten in five away games including the record-breaking 9-0 win in 2019. The last time Southampton won at home against Leicester was in 2017 when goals from James Ward-Prowse, Jay Rodriguez, and Dusan Tadic saw the Saints win 3-0.
Team News
Ruben Selles started Ward-Prowse from the bench in the FA Cup defeat to Grimsby so he should be fully fit for the game against Leicester.
Juan Larios is still ruled out with a groin injury, with an expected return in two weeks’ time, while Che Adams and Mohammed Salisu face late fitness tests ahead of Saturday evening.
Valentino Livramento is ruled out with a long-term injury after undergoing surgery.
Brendan Rodgers has been boosted by the return of Maddison after the midfielder missed the last two games with a small knee issue. Rodgers said: “Maddison should be fine. Fingers crossed he gets through the week okay.”
The Northern Irishman also confirmed that Ricardo Pereira came through the game against Blackburn without any injury, in his first start of the season, after sustaining an Achilles injury in a pre-season friendly.
But Belgian midfielder Youri Tielemans has been ruled out for six months with an ankle injury that he picked up in the defeat to Arsenal.
Likely Line-ups
Bazunu; Maitland-Niles, Bednarek, Bella-Kotchap, Perraud; Armstrong, Ward-Prowse, Lavia, Elyounoussi; Sulemana, Onuachu.
Ward; Castagne, Souttar, Faes, Kristiansen; Mendy, Dewsbury-Hall, Maddison; Barnes, Iheanacho, Tetê.
Key Players
James Ward-Prowse (Southampton)
If there is one man that is going to steer Southampton away from relegation and secure survival, it is Ward-Prowse.
The England international will be key in the remainder of the season, and more importantly, his set pieces will be important.
Ward-Prowse is one of the best free-kick takers in the league, and he showed that against Chelsea to step up and curl one past Kepa Arrizabalaga to give the Saints all three points.
James Maddison (Leicester City)
Leicester are a different side when Maddison is fit and available for selection. The Foxes really struggle when the midfielder is unavailable.
The creativity he provides and the chances he makes are so important for Rodgers’ side. Maddison was a big miss in both the FA Cup game against Blackburn and the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal last time out.
If he plays, and he is on it, he is a massive threat for any side in the league and will have to be stopped if Southampton are to take anything from the game.
Match Details
Where will the match be played?
The match will be played at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton.
When will the match be played?
The match kicks off at 5:30pm on Saturday, March 4th, 2023.
How can you watch the match?
In the UK, the match will be live on Sky Sports Main Event and Premier League. Highlights will be available across their social channels after the match.