Southampton V Sunderland at St. Mary's Stadium : Match Preview

26 August 2016 16:34
Southampton V Sunderland - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game live.


Ryan Bertrand set for Southampton start

Ryan Bertrand is poised for his first competitive Southampton appearance under new boss Claude Puel after recovering from knee trouble.

The England full-back will undergo a late fitness check ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash with Sunderland at St Mary's.

Oriol Romeu has shaken off the knock he suffered in the 2-0 defeat at Manchester United, but Jeremy Pied is missing with a knee injury.

Cedric Soares has urged Southampton to kick-start Premier League life under Claude Puel this weekend.

The Saints full-back believes new French boss Puel will quickly have the south coast men at full top-flight tilt, despite remaining winless after two matches.

But Soares admits it is vital the home men emerge victorious this weekend.

"We need a win and I think all the team is motivated in that way," Soares told Southampton's official website.

"We are doing well, we know we are in the right way, we just need the win at home - for our fans too - so me and my colleagues look forward to that game.

"I think even the last game, we lost 2-0 against Man United, but there were good moments in the game where we did well. We just need to keep going in the same way and I'm sure it will come."

Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford is in line for a Premier League start after Vito Mannone was ruled out for a minimum of three months by injury.

Italian Mannone could yet face surgery to repair damaged elbow ligaments, handing the England Under-21 international his chance.

Defenders John O'Shea (hip) and Lamine Kone (back) and midfielders Fabio Borini (toe) and Jeremain Lens (foot) are being assessed and new signing Javier Manquillo could feature for the first time, while Jan Kirchhoff (hamstring) is expected to return to full training next week.

But Billy Jones (hip), Lee Cattermole (hernia surgery) and Sebastian Larsson (knee) remain on the sidelines.

Sunderland boss David Moyes has backed Pickford to shine in the top flight, saying: "Definitely. I actually think that between him and Vito, it was very tight even at the start, but I think Vito with his experience got the jersey.

"Jordan is well-liked. He is another one of the young boys who have been talked a lot about. I think Jordan is probably the one, a young English goalkeeper.

"I do believe if you get young English players, it draws a lot of attention to your football club because it's something the media and the public want to see, so we are looking forward to having Jordan.

"We'll see how he does in the games. It is a big step-up from where he has been and it's not easy for young goalkeepers, but I'm confident that he'll be fine. I thought he played well the other night, what he had to do, so I'm confident.

"But again, the Premier League is a different animal and he'll get that chance to do it."


Source: PAR