Com a semana livre, o técnico Marquinhos Santos ganhou alguns dias para projetar o Juventude que vai a campo diante do Inter e tudo indica que ele pode ter problemas.
O atacante Paulinho Bóia acusou uma dor no joelho esquerdo e ganhou a atenção do departamento médico do Jaconero.
Caso o atleta não possa atuar, Marquinhos deve apostar no jovem Marcos Vinícios ao lado do artilheiro Matheus Peixoto.
Confira a provável escalação do Juventude: Marcelo Carné; Michel Macedo, Vitor Mendes, Rafael Foster e William Matheus; Élton, Guilherme Castilho, Matheus Jesus e Wescley; Marcos Vinicios e Matheus Peixoto.
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Liverpool star Mohamed Salah matched an Alan Shearer feat with a superb goalscoring display in Sunday's 3-0 win at Manchester United.
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Liverpool beat Man Utd 3-0
Salah scores and bags two assists
Matches Alan Shearer scoring feat
WHAT HAPPENED?
The Egyptian international bagged two assists and got on the scoresheet to heap more misery on Erik ten Hag's men on Sunday. And according to Opta Joe, Salah has now scored 10 goals in nine matches at Old Trafford for Liverpool in all competitions. This matches former striker Alan Shearer's record for Premier League clubs since 1992-93, with the Englishman having scored 10 times at Leeds United's Elland Road stadium.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Salah looks as good as ever despite entering the autumn years of his career. The former Roma ace is into the last year of his contract at Anfield and after the game he admitted it was his "last year" at the club. He is a Liverpool legend and losing him will be a huge blow next year. Aside from what happens to him next, Liverpool are joint top of the Premier League with Manchester City as new manager Arne Slot enjoys a superb start after succeeding Jurgen Klopp.
Getty Images Sport
DID YOU KNOW?
The Liverpool forward, who joined the Reds in 2017 from Roma and has since scored 214 goals and notched 92 assists in all competitions, has scored in his last seven games at Old Trafford. Of those 10 goals scored in all competitions, his best outing at United's ground was in October 2021 in the Premier League when he scored a hat-trick in a 5-0 win.
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WHAT NEXT?
Salah will next be in Premier League action for Liverpool when they host Nottingham Forest at Anfield on September 14 following the upcoming international break.
A letter from Tom Harrison encouraged the PCA to support a 20% wage cut for players
George Dobell01-Apr-2020England’s centrally contracted players appear – at this stage – to have declined the offer to accept a temporary pay cut as part of the sport’s efforts to combat the challenges set by the COVID-19 pandemic.Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, wrote to Tony Irish, his counterpart at the Professional Cricketers’ Association (the PCA; the players’ union who negotiate pay on behalf of centrally contracted players), on March 29 to broach the subject. ESPNcricinfo has a copy of this letter.In the letter, Harrison revealed that he personally would be taking a 25% pay cut “for at least three months” as the ECB “confronted… the biggest challenge the sport has known in the modern era.” It is understood that other ECB executives have volunteered a 20% pay cut and some staff will be informed on Wednesday morning of a decision to furlough them.It is unclear how much direct input the players had on the decision, although writing on Twitter, Ben Stokes responded with fury at the suggestion that England’s centrally contracted players had personally turned down the request.While there were some exchanges between the PCA and the players on WhatsApp groups, the PCA stance has remained that pay cuts should only be seen as a last resort. Jos Buttler, meanwhile, is auctioning off the shirt he wore when England clinched the World Cup to raise money for a health service charity.ALSO READ: Losing whole summer would cost over £300m – ECB chief executiveWhile the ECB understood they could not compel the players to accept a pay cut, they had hoped they might volunteer one as a “gesture” in an unprecedented crisis. But, after receiving a less than enthusiastic response to the idea, in a media conference on March 31, Harrison said the ECB “are not seeking pay cuts from England players”.”In these circumstances,” Harrison wrote, “it is my strong belief that a leadership example must be set.”These measures will be far more effective with the support of our professional players and we seek your help and understanding in this. We are rightly proud of the role our England players play in wider society and how they are helping people through these difficult days and across the country we recognise the valuable role that professional cricketers play in support of the cricket family. In unprecedented times like these, it is important for the whole cricket family to show a willingness to be part of the solution.ECB chief executive Tom Harrison sent a letter to PCA CEO Tony Irish last week•Getty Images
“Whilst the health of the nation is under threat, the future of our sport depends on every single one of us sharing the load right now. In light of this, I am encouraging the PCA and all professional players to support the recommendations the first-class counties present to you next week, which may very well propose a 20% reduction in salaries for April and May, with a view to revisiting this on a monthly basis until we have navigated through the crisis.”I am hopeful that our players are able to contribute in rising to this unprecedented challenge. If we can all pull our weight in working together and come through this, then we will not only reinforce the truly inspiring spirit of the cricket family, but we will safeguard the future of our sport and the livelihoods of everyone who works within it.”An excerpt from Tom Harrison’s letter to Tony Irish•ESPNcricinfo Ltd
ESPNcricinfo understands that the PCA is yet to receive a proposal from the first-class counties, and will wait for that to arrive before considering it. Irish’s most recent public comments stressed the need for collective solutions. Many county players have now beenfurloughed. While some counties are making-up the full difference between the government contribution and their full salaries, some arenot.There is an additional element of negotiation for centrally contracted players due to the Team England Player Partnership (TEPP), which effectively decides the value of central contracts for international players. Irish is also chair of TEPP.It remains possible that the PCA stance will change but it does seem they have not taken the first opportunity to act in this unprecedented situation.
It seems like India’s fortune for the year was all spent at the World Cup. They began with two wins in the tournament, followed it with two losses, and then two more wins – including the peak, a quarter-final defeat of Pakistan – before the infamous combustion at Eden Gardens.Since then, they’ve lost series – bilaterals, tri-nations, quadrangular – in Singapore, Sharjah, England, Sri Lanka, and Toronto. Along the way, Mohammad Azharuddin was relieved of captaincy duties. Twenty-three-year-old Sachin Tendulkar, de facto leader in some sense – if not singular batting hope – has been formally appointed to the role, to which he hasn’t quite taken as easily.The good news for India is they now return to the site of that peak. Bengaluru is among the ten cities that will host a Titan Cup match, and the home ground of no less than six of the players who were in the playing XI that lost to South Africa in last week’s series opener in Hyderabad. The bowlers – Venkatesh Prasad, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath – were at the heart of that win against Pakistan, both with the bat and the ball. They will be itching to play a similar hand again.It’s a slender, unique advantage against Australia who have also been somewhat downhill since their loss to Sri Lanka in the World Cup final and the tri-series after. Mark Taylor continues to be in charge of a young side that will slowly be growing weary – all their cricket since February has been in the subcontinent.At the end of this series, they’ll have spent nearly a month in India, a tour that began with a gruelling train ride to and back from Patiala for a tour match. It’s a test of their resilience before a home season in December that many of their players will, no doubt, be longing for.
Form guide
India (last five completed ODIs, most recent first) Australia LLWLWShaun Botterill/Getty Images
In the spotlight
Since his hundred on captaincy debut in August, Sachin Tendulkar has had a lean run. In his last six innings, Tendulkar hasn’t gone past 25, and the effects have rippled onto his team’s form as well. Against South Africa last week, he briefly showed signs of shedding any inhibitions, but it was an innings that only lasted 20 minutes. At this point, he has little to lose, both as batsman and captain – it could be the perfect method to turn it all around.Steve Waugh‘s experience and grit were on show when Australia lost the solitary Test match earlier this month. In the face of several challenges – the weather, the turning tracks, the length of the tour – he has had to keep the middle order steady as a new generation of batsmen look to cement their places in unfavourable conditions. While Mark Taylor and brother Mark Waugh bring the experience and foundation at the top of the order, how Steve handles the spinners will have a big impact on this game.
Team news
Opener Sujith Somasunder didn’t have a great debut against South Africa, but will likely be persisted with at his home ground. Youngsters Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly had decent outings in the opening game and that should mean India will be unchanged with an all-Karnataka bowling attack. India (probable XI): 1 Sachin Tendulkar (capt.), 2 Sujith Somasunder, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Mohammad Azharuddin, 5 Sourav Ganguly, 6 Ajay Jadeja, 7 Nayan Mongia (wk), 8 Javagal Srinath, 9 Anil Kumble, 10 Sunil Joshi, 11 Venkatesh PrasadThere are murmurs of an in-flight tiff between Ricky Ponting and Paul Reiffel as Australia flew in from Indore. Should that affect how Australia line up, it could be another return for Michael Slater, who hadn’t made the cut for the World Cup earlier. Jason Gillespie will likely keep his place, and left-arm wristspinner Brad Hogg will be the specialist spinner following Shane Warne’s injury. Australia (probable XI): 1 Mark Waugh, 2 Mark Taylor (capt.), 3 Ricky Ponting/Michael Slater, 4 Steve Waugh, 5 Stuart Law, 6 Michael Bevan, 7 Ian Healy (wk), 8 Brad Hogg, 9 Paul Reiffel/Damien Fleming, 10 Jason Gillespie, 11 Glenn McGrath
Pitch and conditions
The pitch at Chinnaswamy Stadium hasn’t had senior-level cricket on it for a few months now. While games earlier in the year showed a decent surface for batting, regardless of format, it’s hard to predict what is in store on Monday. Temperatures are likely to hover in the high twenties.
Stats and trivia
India haven’t beaten the other two teams in the series this calendar year
Australia haven’t had an ODI centurion since the end of the World Cup
Chelsea are back in action once again in the Premier League tonight as they prepare to travel across London to take on Arsenal at The Emirates.
The Blues were knocked out of the FA Cup on Saturday as they were beaten 1-0 by Manchester City at Wembley, thanks to a late strike from Bernardo Silva.
Mauricio Pochettino's side will not be winning any silverware this season but still have the chance to qualify for the Europa Conference League or the Europa League, which means that every game is important and all three points are needed this evening.
A win for Chelsea would see them move up to seventh in the Premier League, ahead of West Ham United and Manchester United, and level on points with Newcastle United in sixth, who have a better goal difference at the moment.
The Blues could, however, be without their superstar forward Cole Palmer for this clash with the Gunners, as he is currently a major doubt to be fit for the game.
Latest Cole Palmer fitness news
According to Pochettino, the England international has been struggling with an illness and may not be ready to take to the field at The Emirates tonight.
The Chelsea boss stated that, as of Monday, he did not "believe" that the left-footed maestro would be involved in the game, and added that the attacker may not even be able to play if he recovers on Tuesday.
He added that it would be a "good" challenge for his team to face the Gunners without Palmer in the starting XI, as it could motivate the other players to prove that the side is not "Cole Palmer Football Club".
There is little doubt that the English magician will be a tough act to follow for whoever is tasked with taking his place in the lineup, due to his phenomenal form in the Premier League this season.
Appearances
28
Goals
20
xG
14.95
Assists
9
Big chances created
12
Key passes per game
1.9
As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old wizard has been outstanding in the final third with a staggering 29 direct goal contributions in just 28 appearances since his move from Manchester City last summer.
He is the joint-top scorer in the division, alongside former teammate Erling Haaland, and only three players – Kieran Trippier, Pascal Gross, and Ollie Watkins – have registered more assists.
Chelsea, therefore, do not have anyone in their current squad who has proven that they can reach similar levels, as not many players in the entire league have proven that so far this term.
However, his potential absence does provide someone with an opportunity to step up and make their mark with a big performance against the Gunners.
Instead of going for the experience of Raheem Sterling, Pochettino must unleash speedster Mykhailo Mudryk on the left flank, moving Conor Gallagher into a central role.
Raheem Sterling's form this season
The former England international, who has one goal in his last 16 games in all competitions, has struggled in front of goal at times this season for the Blues.
Now 29, Sterling is an experienced option who has been there and done it in the Premier League over the years, for Liverpool, Manchester City, and Chelsea.
However, his work in the final third during the 2023/24 campaign has left a lot to be desired. The right-footed attacker has scored six goals and missed 11 'big chances' in 27 league appearances, which has included 21 starts.
Raheem Sterling
This shows that he has not made the most of the opportunities that have been created for him so far in the top-flight, as he has spurned five more 'big chances' than the forward has scored goals.
Sterling has also failed to provide creative quality on a consistent basis for the London-based outfit, with four assists and one key pass per game on average.
The 29-year-old attacker has not been efficient in his offensive or defensive duels, either, with a success rate of just 38% in his attempted dribbles, to go along with a duel success rate of 39% in his battles on the ground and in the air combined.
Why Pochettino should unleash Mykhailo Mudryk
Pochettino must now unleash Mudryk from the start on the left flank ahead of Sterling, as he has the potential to offer more than the English dud in and out of possession.
Firstly, the Ukraine international has won 45% of his duels, including 48% of his ground battles, in the Premier League this season, and could, therefore, provide slightly more strength off the ball to compete against opposition defenders.
The young dynamo, who journalist Nizaar Kinsella hailed as "electric" last year, has also completed 55% of his attempted dribbles in the top-flight.
This shows that the £100k-per-week speedster can beat his man more often than not on the wing, whereas Sterling has been tackled 62% of the time so far.
Appearances
27
25
Starts
21
12
Goals
6
4
Big chances missed
11
3
Assists
4
2
Big chances created
6
5
As you can see in the table above, Mudryk has been less wasteful in front of goal – with more goals than 'big chances' missed – and has only created one fewer 'big chance' for his teammates in nine fewer starts.
This suggests that the 23-year-old whiz, who ranks within the top 10% of Premier League attacking midfielders and wingers for progressive carries (5.82) per 90 this term, has been more efficient at the top end of the pitch than Sterling, given the difference in their playing time and contributions in attack.
Therefore, Pochettino should provide Mudryk with an opportunity to start on the wing against Arsenal in the absence of Palmer, ahead of Sterling, with the added motivation of showing the Gunners what they missed out on.
Chelsea eyeing "clinical" £151m signing to upgrade on Mudryk
The Blues are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the impressive “difference-maker”.
ByDan Emery Apr 23, 2024
Mikel Arteta's side reportedly had two offers rejected by Shakhtar Dontestk before the winger completed his £89m move to Stamford Bridge at the start of last year, and the young gem may want to prove to them that they should have done more to land his signature.
While Everton have suffered a turbulent few months with off-the-field issues resulting in an eight-point deduction, manager Sean Dyche has impressed this season with the Toffees' securing their Premier League status for next term.
The Merseyside club have turned their form around in recent weeks, with their four-game unbeaten run enough to pull themselves clear of any looming danger despite the troubles with PSR.
The financial problems behind the scenes at Goodison Park have been well documented and have prevented Dyche from investing heavily in his squad, restricting him to working with players who were at the club before his appointment.
Everton manager Sean Dyche.
Injuries and various other reasons have seen the Toffees' boss rely on some younger players to do the business this season, with Jarrad Branthwaite the main beneficiary – starting 33 times in the Premier League this campaign.
However, the manager has been let down by some of his first-team squad this season, with one player, in particular, struggling with his fitness and yet to showcase his best at Goodison Park.
Nathan Patterson's stats at Everton
After joining the club in January 2022 under boss Rafa Benitez, full-back Nathan Patterson had high hopes of being the club's long-term Seamus Coleman replacement.
He joined from Rangers for a fee in the region of £16m, a figure that was then the highest figure ever received for a player from Ibrox, with the youngster signing a five-and-a-half-year deal at Goodison Park.
However, over two years on from his arrival on Merseyside, he's only made 48 appearances for the club, with only 20 coming during the 2023/24 campaign.
Patterson's stats at Everton
Season
Games
Minutes
2021/22
1
45'
2022/23
21
1,431'
2023/24
26
1,411'
Stats via Transfermarkt
Patterson has only started 25% of matches under Dyche this season, missing the last four Premier League outings with a fresh hamstring issue.
At just 22, the Scotsman could still prove to be a success at Goodison, but for the time being he's failed to prove his worth, with his market value taking a nose dive as a result of his lack of game time.
Nathan Patterson's market value in 2024
After just two appearances in 2024, the Scotsman's value has decreased to just £6m, as per Football Transfers – a drop of £10m from the fee that the club paid for him in January 2022.
His subsequent value is now less than defender James Tarkowski, who joined the club on a free transfer from Burnley just six months prior to Patterson's arrival at the club.
The centre-back is now worth £17.8m, a huge jump from his transfer that cost the club nothing – another example of the excellent dealings conducted by the Toffees in recent seasons.
everton-james-tarkowski-premier-league
Patterson undoubtedly still has the potential to be a hit at the club, but for now, he's got to bide his time with Ben Godfrey currently looking undroppable after his recent stint covering at right-back.
However, he has the opportunity during pre-season to stake his claim for a starting spot, with the defender needing to grasp the next opportunity that comes his way if he's to become a regular under Dyche next season.
Having spent over two years now on Merseyside, time is perhaps running out for the former Gers man to make an impact…
Everton played a blinder on Koeman signing who's now worth less than Keane
He failed to demonstrate his qualities during his time at Goodison Park.
Everton boosted their hopes of Premier League survival after claiming a 2-0 victory over fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest at Goodison Park on Sunday afternoon.
The Toffees produced a professional display, limiting the Reds to minimal chances before being clinical when having the opportunity from distance.
Goals from Idrissa Gueye and Dwight McNeil secured a double over the Reds for Sean Dyche's side and extended the gap between themselves and Luton Town to five points with five games remaining.
The game was overshadowed by controversy after Nuno Espírito Santo's side were denied three penalties, with the club posting a strongly worded statement on social media after the final whistle.
The Toffees also suffered a blow during the win, with striker Beto being stretchered off after a nasty head collision with midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White.
Despite all the drama surrounding him, one Everton player starred throughout, justifying Dyche's choice to reinstall him in the starting lineup this afternoon.
Everton's best player against Nottingham Forest
After missing the 6-0 thrashing against Chelsea last Monday, Dyche decided to recall midfielder Gueye from the off against Forest – a decision that proved to be a fantastic decision.
The 34-year-old Senegalese featured for the entirety of the encounter and scored the opening goal after a nervy opening to the game – understandable given the circumstances.
He also managed to win 75% of the duels he contested, plus winning four tackles as he played a pivotal role in breaking up any counter-attacks produced by the visitors.
Gueye also completed 34 of his 39 passes, at a completion rate of 87% – having the second-best rate of any outfield player behind fellow midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure.
Gueye's stats vs Nottingham Forest
Statistics
Tally
Minutes played
90
Goals
1
Duels won
75%
Passes
34/39 (87%)
Tackles
4
Interceptions
2
Dribble success
1/1
Stats via Sofascore
The former PSG man also managed to make two interceptions, as he was awarded an 8/10 rating for his display by Liverpool Echo journalist Chris Beesley.
Everton's relegation situation
Despite having five games left in the Premier League this season, Gueye's performance in the victory over Forest today has massively boosted the club's chance of securing survival and avoiding a repeat of a final-day showdown.
He may be coming towards the tail end of his career given the fact he's 34, but today's performance is evidence that he's still able to produce top-quality outings on a constant basis.
Everton midfielderIdrissa Gueye.
His goal and all-round positive play certainly have allowed Dyche's side to stretch their lead over the relegation places and have their Premier League status in their own hands despite all the setbacks the club have received this campaign.
Gueye must be a crucial part of the Everton squad between now and the final day on May 19th, with the Senegalese defensive midfielder proving to everyone he is a reliable player for the club as they aim to maintain their ever-present top-flight Premier League position.
Arsenal stars Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard could inadvertently thwart the club's chances of signing a £60 million forward who the club really like.
Edu and Arteta planning to sign new attackers for Arsenal
The North Londoners, in their bid to win a first Premier League title in 20 years, have been imperious going forward, despite not having an out and out goalscorer leading the line.
£43 million star certain to move as Arsenal enter pole position for deal
The Gunners are “very impressed” by his ability.
ByEmilio Galantini May 8, 2024
Indeed, no other team have racked up more goals in the top flight than Mikel Arteta's men so far this season, with strikes coming from all across the attacking areas courtesy of top scorers Saka (16), Kai Havertz (12) and Leandro Trossard (11).
However, it is still widely believed that Arsenal are planning to bring in an important new striker this summer, and reliable journalist Charles Watts has also claimed they could look to bring in yet another winger as well.
Bukayo Saka
16
Kai Havertz
12
Leandro Trossard
11
Martin Odegaard
8
Declan Rice
7
The Gunners are targeting number nines in big names like Napoli star Victor Osimhen and Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres. The latter has been in scintillating form over 2023/2024, scoring 41 goals in all competitions, and it is believed Arsenal are in pole position to sign Gyokeres for Arteta.
In terms of wingers who Arsenal could have their eyes on, Crystal Palace star Michael Olise is thought to be one of them.
The France youth international, barring his injury absences, has been a star player for Oliver Glasner and his predecessor. Scoring nine goals and assisting four others over 17 league appearances, he's displayed real cutting edge, and this has alerted Arsenal chiefs.
Arsenal really like Olise but Odegaard and Saka could thwart deal
According to Football Transfers, Arsenal are big fans of Olise but Saka and Odegaard could actually thwart a deal. This is because the prospect of regular game time for the 22-year-old is diminished, thanks to the latter pair cementing their roles in similar positions to Olise.
The Eagles star wants to join a team playing Champions League football next term but also wants to start week in week out, with Aston Villa now confident they can beat both Arteta and Man United in the race for Olise – who is rumoured to command a £60 million price tag.
“In the first-half we didn’t get enough out of him, and we couldn’t bring him into the game as much as we wanted," said former Palace boss Roy Hodgson when discussing Olise's future after a terrific 5-1 win away to Leeds last season.
“In the first-half he was a figure on the right but he wasn’t creating chances or showing aggression in his play. In the second-half he got it all right in both defence and attack and he showed what a wonderful player he is.
“I have seen him for 10 days less than I have seen the others. What I make of him is that I think he is an enormous talent – he has got a great possibility to have a wonderful career and a wonderful future. We can only hope we at Crystal Palace can give him that platform.”
Leeds United are preparing for their last match of the regular Championship season as they host Southampton at Elland Road on Saturday.
The Whites know that they need a minor miracle to secure automatic promotion back to the Premier League this weekend, as two results – including their own – need to go their way.
Ipswich Town have to lose to Huddersfield Town, at Portman Road, and Daniel Farke’s team needs to beat the Saints to give themselves a chance of finishing second.
Any other sets of results will leave Leeds in the play-offs and needing to fight it out over three games to secure an instant return to the top-flight.
Daniel Farke before a game with Leeds United.
The Yorkshire-based outfit were hammered 4-0 by QPR at Loftus Road last time out in the division, and Farke could look to make some changes to his starting XI from that match.
With this in mind, here is FFC’s predicted Leeds lineup to take to the field against Southampton this weekend…
1 Karl Darlow
With the club’s fate all but sealed, and a play-off campaign pending, this could be the perfect time to give Karl Darlow an opportunity to impress.
Leeds need their players in form for the play-offs, due to how important these one-off games are, and Illan Meslier has been in poor form between the sticks.
The French shot-stopper has received a match rating of 3/10 from Football Insider in each of the last two games, against Middlesbrough and QPR – conceding seven goals in that time, and has conceded 3.88 more goals than expected based on the xG against him in the league overall.
FFC urged Farke to finally drop the 24-year-old dud and that is what the manager should do for this match, bringing the experienced Darlow in as his replacement against Southampton.
2 Sam Byram
Leeds defender Sam Byram.
Ahead of this game, Farke revealed that Connor Roberts, who is on loan from Premier League side Burnley, is a major doubt through injury for this game.
This means that Sam Byram – signed on a free from Norwich last summer – could continue at right-back, with Archie Gray keeping his place in the middle of the park.
3 Joe Rodon
Leeds United's loan defender Joe Rodon.
Joe Rodon could make his last appearance in a regular league match at Elland Road with a start against the Saints on Saturday.
The Welsh titan is currently on loan from Tottenham Hotspur and, whilst the Whites are reportedly keen to sign him permanently, it remains to be seen whether or not he will be at the club next season.
4 Ethan Ampadu
Leeds midfielder Ethan Ampadu.
Alongside Rodon, Ethan Ampadu should continue to play in a centre-back role with Pascal Struijk out for the season with a groin injury.
The defensive midfielder, signed from Chelsea last summer, has had to be utilised away from his natural position during the second half of the campaign and may look forward to potentially returning to midfield next season.
5 Junior Firpo
Junior Firpo
At left-back, Junior Firpo should be a relatively simple selection to make for the manager due to the lack of options in that position at this moment in time.
The Dominican Republic international is the only natural left-back in the first-team squad, and Byram – the other experienced player who could play that role – is needed at right-back.
6 Glen Kamara
The second alteration to the starting XI could come in the middle of the park as Finnish star Glen Kamara could come in to replace Ilia Gruev.
Against QPR, the Bulgaria international struggled badly in midfield as he lost all six of his ground duels and failed to adequately close down the shooter for both of the first two goals.
Farke must now unleash Kamara, who was once hailed as “lightning-quick” by ex-manager Neil McCann, from the start over Gruev to offer more steel defensively, as he has won 60% of his ground duels in the Championship this term.
7 Archie Gray
Next to Kamara, Farke should stick with the Championship Young Player of the Season, Archie Gray, in the middle of the park instead of moving him back to right-back.
The teenage midfielder offers athleticism, energy, and calmness in possession – having completed 90% of his passes and won 100% (4/4) of his duels against QPR, which could be used to get the better of the Saints midfield.
8 Wilfried Gnonto
Wilfried Gnonto
Welsh forward Dan James has been ruled out of this clash through injury, which leaves Wilfried Gnonto as the only natural right winger for the manager to call upon.
The Italy international has scored one goal, made seven key passes, and created three 'big chances' for his teammates in his last three matches.
9 Georgino Rutter
Georginio Rutter
In the number ten position, Georginio Rutter could start once again as he is the only natural number ten in the squad and Farke may hope that the talented whiz can return to his best, having gone seven games without a direct goal contribution.
The French ace has created 22 'big chances' in 44 Championship games so far this season, which shows that he has the quality to be a fantastic creator at the peak of his powers.
10 Crysencio Summerville
On the left side of the attack, Crysencio Summerville should start once again as the Dutch sensation has racked up 19 goals and nine assists in the Championship this season.
He is, as shown by those statistics, a constant threat to opposition defences with his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals from the wing, and could cause problems for the Southampton backline this weekend.
Former Chile midfielder Miguel Angel Neira believes Lionel Messi got too much protection from referees at the recent Copa America and 2022 World Cup.
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Messi absent from Argentina duties against ChileNeira glad Inter Miami star unavailable Says he was too protected in recent tournamentsWHAT HAPPENED?
Messi's injury-enforced absence from Argentina's squad for 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Colombia has prompted a scathing attack from former midfielder Neira. He claims that the 37-year-old is no longer fully committed to his country at international, and says that even when he does play, Messi gets too much protection from the officials.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT NEIRA SAID
Speaking to , Neira said: "If Messi no longer plays, the worst thing that can happen to us is that he is not a starter. Now someone else is going to play and anyone is better than Messi.
"If he was, he is no longer, it was seen in the Copa America, in the Qualifiers, he no longer has anything to do with the Argentine National Team. They [referees] helped Messi, they protected him, I wish they had protected Diego Maradona like that."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Messi has not been seen on the pitch since picking up an injury in the 2024 Copa America final that saw Argentina claim back-to-back crowns. The Inter Miami superstar will have seen close friend Luis Suarez's recent international retirement and it has been suggested he will soon take the same decision, having achieved everything on offer to him for La Albiceleste.
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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?
The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain playmaker is on the road to recovery, with Inter Miami hopeful he can return later this month and boost their MLS Cup aspirations. Regarding his future with Argentina, whether Messi plans to stick around for the 2026 World Cup remains unclear.