Southampton vs Cardiff preview: Danny Ings out for Saints

Southampton will be without striker Danny Ings when they host relegation rivals Cardiff in the Premier League on Saturday.

Ings has been ruled out for at least three weeks with a hamstring injury sustained during last weekend's 1-1 draw with Burnley.

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl says Ings will be missed, but is more focused on his side keeping out goals, rather than scoring them.

"I don't think we're showing we have problems scoring, we have scored in nearly every game," he said.

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"We should be focused to have more clean sheets in the future. We showed in the last game we can score, and sometimes it must be enough to score once, not two or three times to take the win.

"That is the target we are most focused on, to try to have this clean sheet."

Saints are unbeaten in the Premier League this calendar year and are two points above Cardiff, who are 18th in the table.

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Neil Warnock's side recorded their first win of the year last time out as they beat Bournemouth 2-0.

It was confirmed on Thursday that the body recovered from the plane wreckage on the seabed of the English Channel had been identified as Cardiff striker Emiliano Sala.

Emiliano Sala: 1990-2019

Team news

Ings is set for around three weeks of rehabilitation from a hamstring problem.

Midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is available again after a head injury, while defender Maya Yoshida has returned from Asian Cup duty with Japan.

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Ryan Bertrand (back) has resumed full training, but midfielder Mario Lemina (abdominal) and forward Michael Obafemi (thigh) continue their rehabilitation.

On-loan midfielder Harry Arter will be back in the Cardiff squad after he was ineligible to feature against parent club Bournemouth.

Victor Camarasa is a doubt while Sean Morrison is out until March.

Opta stats

• Southampton have lost only one of their last 14 home matches against Cardiff in all competitions (W10 D3), although that defeat came in their last such meeting in April 2014 in the Premier League.
• Cardiff have won two of their three Premier League games against Southampton (L1), only versus Fulham (3) have they won more in the competition.
• Cardiff are looking to record three consecutive victories against Southampton in all competitions for the first time since March 1963.
• Southampton are unbeaten in five Premier League games (W2 D3), last having a longer such run between April-August 2016 (7).
• Southampton have both scored (11) and conceded (12) in each of their last seven home league games.
• Following their win against Bournemouth last time out, Cardiff are looking to win consecutive top-flight matches for the first time since April 1962.
• Cardiff are the lowest away scorers in the Premier League this season (7 goals), while only Fulham (2) have picked up fewer points on the road than the Bluebirds (W1 D2 L9).
• Cardiff's last five away goals in the Premier League have come in the 80th minute or later, with three of them coming in the 90th minute.
• Just one of Southampton's five Premier League wins this season have been against sides starting the day below them (3-1 vs Huddersfield). Indeed, their other four victories have been against sides starting the day in the top half of the table.
• All five of Nathan Redmond's Premier League goal involvements for Southampton this season have come under Ralph Hasenhüttl, with 3 goals and 2 assists in 10 appearances (after none in 15 games before that this term).

Merson's prediction

Cardiff will make it hard for Southampton, that was a massive result for them last week winning at Bournemouth, and that has now brought Brighton into it. I do not see Southampton going down and I see them edging this one.

MERSE PREDICTS: 2-0 (13/2 with Sky Bet)

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