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Southampton: Team news and predicted line-up for Shrewsbury clash

By Marc Walker

Southampton's English striker Dan N'Lundulu runs with the ball during the English Premier League football match between Leicester City and Southampton at King Power Stadium in Leicester, central England on January 16, 2021. (Photo by Tim Keeton / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by TIM KEETON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Southampton's English striker Dan N'Lundulu runs with the ball during the English Premier League football match between Leicester City and Southampton at King Power Stadium in Leicester, central England on January 16, 2021. (Photo by Tim Keeton / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by TIM KEETON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Southampton host Shrewsbury Town in the Third-Round of the FA Cup on Tuesday evening, with kick-off at 8pm UK time at St Mary’s.

This fixture was due to be played on Saturday 9th January but a Coronavirus outbreak at Shrewsbury led to the game being postponed and put back 10 days.

The winner of this tie will be back in FA Cup action this coming Saturday and will host Arsenal in the Fourth-Round before a potential Fifth-Round meeting with either Chorley or Wolves.

Shrewsbury manager Steve Cotterill will be absent from the sidelines at St Mary’s after his own fight with Covid-19 led to him spending time in intensive care. Many messages of support – including from Saints – were seen on social media on Monday.

After two weeks of disruption ahead of this match, it appears that the Shrews will have a fully fit squad to face Saints after negative Covid-19 tests for all their players. Saints are likely to make changes though with an ever growing injury list.

A TV camera in situ inside St Mary’s Stadium (Photo by Alex Broadway/Getty Images)
A TV camera in situ inside St Mary’s Stadium (Photo by Alex Broadway/Getty Images) /

Will Smallbone’s ACL injury took the number of first-team players unavailable for Saints to nine and, although some could be back in action next weekend, Tuesday will come too early for many.

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Danny Ings, Nathan Redmond, Oriol Romeu and Moussa Djenepo were mentioned as possibilities for the next two weeks by Ralph Hasenhuttl, whilst Jannik Vestergaard is expected to return in February.

Will Smallbone will miss the rest of this season and Michael Obafemi has had surgery, whilst ths situations of Mohammed Salisu and Nathan Tella are unclear.

Speaking about team selection in his pre-match press conference on Monday, Hasenhuttl said:

"“It will be a mixed group tomorrow – some guys who have to play, because there are not a lot of alternatives, and some young guys will have to step in and show what they have shown in the sessions: that they are developing their game and deserve to get a chance to play.”"

Predicted Saints line-up (4-2-2-2)

Fraser Forster; Yan Valery, Jan Bednarek, Jack Stephens, Jake Vokins; Ibrahima Diallo, James Ward-Prowse; Kegs Chauke, Theo Walcott; Dan N’Lundulu, Shane Long

Forster, Valery and Vokins are straight replacements for Alex McCarthy, Kyle Walker-Peters and Ryan Bertrand for this game if Ralph Hasenhuttl rotates them. Chauke, N’Lundulu and Long come in for Armstrong, Adams and the injured Smallbone.

Defenders Kayne Ramsay and Allan Tchaptchet midfield duo Caleb Watts and Will Ferry have also on the bench recently and could potentially get minutes too if the game situation allows it.

Next. A look ahead to Saints' recent schedule. dark

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