22nd-place Southampton welcome fellow strugglers Barnsley to the St. Mary's Stadium with both sides desperate for three points.
Early strugglers clash on south coast
22nd-place Southampton welcome fellow strugglers Barnsley to the St. Mary's Stadium with both sides desperate for three points.
Just one win from their opening six games has left Jan Poortvliet's men third from bottom, though if they need a lift they should look no further than their opponents on Saturday.
Barnsley go into the clash having lost five of their six Championship matches to date, with the Yorkshire-outfit managing just four goals along the way, and they currently lie bottom of the league.
In contrast, The Saints' problems appear to lie in defence, with the side conceding 11 goals in their opening encounters.
There has certainly been no shortage of goals in this fixture, with a minimum of four goals scored in the last six encounters between the two sides, and Barnsley had the better of it last term courtesy of 3-2 win on the south coast and a 2-2 draw at home.
Team news
Michael Svensson could return to the squad having shaken off the latest in a long line of knee problems, and he may also reclaim the captain's armband.
Meanwhile, Ollie Lancashire remains sidelined as part of his three-match ban for a red card on his debut against QPR, while Lee Holmes has been ruled out for up to two months with knee ligament damage, joining Jason Euell and Wayne Thomas as long-term absentees.
There is reason for optimism within the visitor's camp with news that Brazilian midfielder Anderson De Silva came through a behind-closed-doors friendly unscathed midweek, and he could be set for his appearance since February.
Martin Devaney has overcome the illness that ruled him out of Barnsley's clash with Cardiff midweek, and he may take Mounir El Haimour's place, with the 27-year old lacking full fitness due to his fasting for Ramadan.
Kayode Odejayi picked up a knee injury in the side's last clash, but other than that the Tykes are at full strengh.
