Raphael Varane could make Man Utd debut; Armando Broja may feature for hosts; watch Southampton vs Man Utd live on Sky Sports Premier League from 1pm on Sunday Sunday; kick-off 2pm
Sunday 22 August 2021 13:05, UK
Team news, stats and prediction ahead of Southampton vs Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday; kick-off 2pm.
Southampton have no fresh injury concerns ahead of Sunday's visit of Manchester United.
Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl has a near fully-fit squad but will not be able to call on the services of midfielder Will Smallbone (knee).
Defensive duo Romain Perraud and Tino Livramento are in line to make their home debuts, while Chelsea loanee Armando Broja is yet to make his bow.
New signing Raphael Varane is pushing to make his Manchester United debut at St Mary's but goalkeeper Dean Henderson is still building fitness after contracting coronavirus.
The 28-year-old defender was not signed in time to play against Leeds last weekend but has impressed since arriving, while striker Edinson Cavani has also been training after returning from an extended summer break.
Winger Jadon Sancho is pushing for his first start and midfielder Jesse Lingard is available after a recent positive Covid-19 test, but forward Marcus Rashford and left-back Alex Telles remain out.
Winger Amad Diallo and defender Eric Bailly are back from the Olympics.
Southampton vs Man Utd is live on Sky Sports Premier League from 1pm; kick-off 2pm. Sky Sports customers can watch in-game clips in the live match blog on the Sky Sports website and app. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.
There wasn't too much evidence from Southampton last weekend to dampen confidence behind them being a big price for relegation a few weeks ago. That 6/1 shot is now a 5/2 shot.
They only mustered six shots and an expected goal figure of 0.8 against a mediocre Everton. Ralph Hasenhuttl will need his new signings to gel and bond together fast in order to stem what is a negative tide down at St Mary's. And the visit of Manchester United is the last thing they need. If they avoid defeat on Sunday, they will equal Arsenal's top-flight record 27 away games unbeaten, set in 2004.
My long-term view on United hasn't changed too much despite their hammering of Leeds. I still think they are a little bit short in comparison to Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea but boy do they have some talented attacking footballers at their disposal. Mason Greenwood in particular.
The 19-year-old looked razor-sharp last weekend. Since the start of April, Greenwood has scored seven goals in the Premier League, averaging over a goal per game ratio.
His conversion rate of 23 per cent marks him out as an elite finisher and my eye totally backs up a theory that he's set to go right to the top. He looks a solid bet to open the scoring this weekend and if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer remains brave at trusting him as a regular starter over the season, the 40/1 with Sky Bet (bigger elsewhere) on his chances as being top goalscorer this season need serious consideration.
SCORE PREDICTION: 0-2
BETTING ANGLE: Mason Greenwood to score first (7/2 with Sky Bet)
After a blockbuster opening weekend of the Premier League we're gearing up to go again, with Arsenal vs Chelsea a headline fixture and set to feature the Blues' new striker Romelu Lukaku. Peter Smith is joined by Gerard Brand, Adam Smith, Nick Wright, and Ron Walker to look ahead to another big round of games...
PART 1: Will Romelu Lukaku fire Chelsea to a Premier League title challenge? And are Arsenal really in crisis? We assess both sides who go into a London derby in contrasting moods.
PART 2: Paul Pogba starred in Man Utd's win over Leeds with four assists - so how does Ole Gunnar Solskjaer keep getting performances like that out of him? And with Raphael Varane primed for his debut, do Man Utd now have all the pieces in place to become champions?
PART 3: Watford returned to the Premier League in style with a 3-2 win over Aston Villa on the opening weekend. We tell the story behind some of their new signings and examine their prospects this term. Plus we hear how a drive down the M6 was transformative for Brighton defender Shane Duffy…
