Keven Schlotterbeck will be aiming to be Southampton's new Jan Bednarek at West Ham

Tonda Eckert will have some selection concerns ahead of Southampton's trip to West Ham United.

Flynn Downes could be unavailable for the Championship contest against his former club, owing to an injury issue he picked up early on against Norwich City.

The worry that he will be ruled out for the box office game at the London Stadium, between two entertaining promotion hopefuls, has only worsened by the lack of Downes in the video footage of Southampton's training in the build-up to the away match.

Eckert also has Cyle Larin to be worried about, as another injury blow, with a hope that whatever team he is able to field on Saturday puts in their all to try and knock Nuno Espirito Santo and Co's confidence in second place in the division.

He will be looking to alternative goalscoring heroes to step up to the mark if the Canadian isn't fit enough to start, and there are several faces in his camp who will be pumped up for the barnstorming affair in London.

The Saints players who will be pumped up for West Ham

It doesn't have to be the end of the world for Southampton if both Downes and Larin aren't in Eckert's starting XI when the team news filters through.

In the middle of the park, the German will still be able to depend upon James Ward-Prowse, even if his dependable number four is ruled out, and the classy 31-year-old has six goal contributions next to his name, when facing West Ham numerous times over the years.

There's the added spice of Ward-Prowse returning to the scene of where he was so hastily discarded in the summer, with Nuno never taking a liking to the Englishman, despite his obvious polish.

Alongside Ward-Prowse facing his former employers with a point to prove, Divin Mubama would be desperate to find the back of the net, if selected to fill a Larin-shaped hole, as he is a former youth product of the London Stadium.

Additionally, Keven Schlotterbeck would love to further solidify his presence as a fan's favourite by popping up with another goal from defence, having scored earlier in the season away at Birmingham City, who are another promotion candidate.

If he was to pop up with a memorable moment, he could end up being Eckert's very own Jan Bednarek, with the Polish centre-back once scoring a late winner during a frantic 3-2 victory over the Hammers.

Schlotterbeck will want to be Eckert's own Jan Bednarek

The assist maker for Bednarek's wonderfully taken header in 2021 was, funnily enough, Ward-Prowse, as a delightful free-kick delivery ended up being perfect for the current FC Porto defender to connect with.

That effort would settle an energetic game in the away side's favour, and with both teams scoring a combined 41 goals already this season in the Championship, another goal-filled affair could be on the cards.

Of course, Schlotterbeck's main focus will be to fulfil his defensive duties, with three clean sheets already under his belt for October.

But, if he can also be a hero with a Bednarek-style header, in the potential absence of Larin in attack, he won't shirk this responsibility, as he cements himself as a crowd pleaser under Eckert.

He would score ten times in the Bundesliga, after all, before making this next step to England, so he will want to be involved in more goals on the South Coast, as he potentially decides the nail-biting affair on Saturday afternoon with his second Saints effort.

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