Southampton vs Manchester United: Vital team news for both ahead of Premier League clash

Both Southampton and Manchester United will be without key players for their Premier League meeting at St Mary’s on Saturday.

The clash on the South Coast kicks off tomorrow at 12:30pm UK time and some selection headaches may have cropped up for both Ralph Hasenhuttl and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Saints will be without attacking trio Nathan Redmond, Moussa Djenepo and Michael Obafemi after they picked up injuries in the Carabao Cup win at Fulham on Tuesday. The former has an ankle problem, whilst the latter two have muscular and cramping issues respectively.

In his pre-match press conference on Thursday, Ralph Hasenhuttl provided an update on all three by saying:

"“In the moment, it looks like Nathan is going to be out for two or three weeks. It could be longer but with good rehab we are hopeful. Also Moussa is injured, he has a problem with his muscle. He’s out for the weekend. Michael Obafemi has some cramp and for the weekend, it’s probably too much for him after playing against Fulham.”"

First-choice left-back Ryan Bertrand missed last weekend’s victory over Brighton with a minor injury and returned to training this week, but it is unclear whether he will be able to play tomorrow.

In the absence of both Redmond and Djenepo, creative responsibilities may fall upon Sofiane Boufal’s shoulders as he continues his revival at the club.

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Some good news for Saints is that United will also be missing key men of their own in defence and in attack.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed that both Anthony Martial and Luke Shaw are out of their trip to St Mary’s.

This could see Ashley Young covering at left-back, whilst youngster and bright prospect Mason Greenwood could get a start in attack alongside likes of Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Daniel James.

Solskjaer will be wanting a reaction from whoever he chooses to play. His side were shocked at home by Crystal Palace last Saturday after falling to a 2-1 loss at Old Trafford.

Last season, the first meeting between Saints and the Red Devils came on the South Coast and saw a 2-2 draw played out. However, respective managers Mark Hughes and Jose Mourinho were both sacked shortly after that game.

Ralph Hasenhuttl and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were in the dugouts when the return fixture was played in Manchester and their sides put on a fantastic show as United narrowly won 3-2.