Breaking team line-ups ahead of Southampton vs Manchester United

Southampton will face a strong test this afternoon as they host Manchester United at St Mary’s.

The game will see Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side play at home for the first time in the 2021/22 season and they will be wanting to put on a show for their returning fans.

This fixture during the previous campaign saw Saints streak into a two-goal lead at half-time thanks to goals from Jan Bednarek and James Ward-Prowse. However, a second-half fightback from United saw Bruno Fernandes pull one back and set up a late comeback win courtesy of two Edinson Cavani strikes.

Ahead of today’s game, there was some key team news that has influenced the line-ups chosen by managers Ralph Hasenhuttl and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Southampton and United face off in intriguing Premier League clash

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Saints boss Hasenhuttl confirmed in his pre-match press conference that he had no fresh injury concerns and this means that he can call upon the player available to him in the opening day defeat to Everton.

Will Smallbone is the only confirmed absence in the first-team squad as he continues his recovery from an ACL injury.

United were assessing the fitness of Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane as fans awaited their first starts since their summer arrivals. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also revealed that Edinson Cavani, Jesse Lingard, Amad Diallo and Eric Bailly were available to come back into the matchday squad if required.

Dean Henderson, Marcus Rashford and Alex Telles were ruled out though.

Headlines from the confirmed team line-ups are that Saints remain unchanged and United keep Varane and Sancho on the bench.

Confirmed Saints line-up

McCarthy; Livramento, Stephens, Salisu, Perraud; Ward-Prowse, Romeu; Walcott, Djenepo, Adams, A. Armstrong

Subs: Forster, Bednarek, Walker-Peters, Valery, Diallo, Elyounoussi, Tella, Redmond, Long

Confirmed United line-up

De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; Matic, Fred, Pogba; B. Fernandes, Martial, Greenwood

Subs: Heaton, Dalot, Varane, James, Lingard, Mata, McTominay, Van De Beek, Sancho