Southampton's expected lineup to take a massive Carabao Cup win over Stoke City
- Russell Martin's side face Championship side Stoke City in the Carabao Cup fourth round.
- Southampton's expected lineup to take a massive win over Stoke City in the Carabao Cup.
By Aakash Desai
Midfield
Flynn Downes must be dropped from this Stoke City match as the 25-year-old has already received 4 yellow-cards this season and could miss the important Everton fixture if he receives another yellow-card in this match. Thus, Martin should bring experienced midfielder Adam Lallana in the starting lineup as the 36-year-old allows Southampton to have more defensive solidity while creating chances inside the final third.
Joe Aribo played as a second half substitute against Manchester City, but his athleticism and pace could be important for Southampton in the middle of the park. Stoke City are a good side in their build up play, thus, Aribo's ball-winning ability can help Southampton to create a lot of counter-attack chances throughout the match.
Mateus Fernandes is again expected to start for the Saints having established himself as a midfield mainstay under manager Russell Martin in the ongoing season. In the second half, 18-year-old talented forward Sam Amo-Ameyaw can also get some significant first-team playing time as a creative playmaker.
Next. 3 Standout Southampton players from a resilient performance in the 1-0 defeat. 3 Standout Southampton players from a resilient performance in the 1-0 defeat. dark
On top of that, Amo-Ameyaw would want to find the back of the net in this match after scoring in the thrilling 5-3 win over Cardiff City in the second round of the Carabao Cup.