Saturday, 1st Feb 2025 14:27
Town have made four changes for this afternoon’s crucial bottom-of-the-table clash against Southampton at Portman Road with Aro Muric, Jens Cajuste and Nathan Broadhead returning to the XI and Julio Enciso making his full debut.
Muric takes over in goal from Christian Walton, who suffered a groin strain at Anfield last week having started the last five matches, with Cieran Slicker the sub keeper.
Cajuste comes back into central midfield alongside skipper Sam Morsy, who makes his 150th start for the club, with Kalvin Phillips on the bench.
Ensico, who came off the bench at Liverpool last week, looks set to be in the centre of the three behind Liam Delap with Omari Hutchinson on the right and Nathan Broadhead on the left.
Ben Johnson and Jaden Philogene are among the subs having started last week, while Wes Burns is out for the season having suffered an ACL injury.
Southampton give debuts to January signings Welington, a Brazilian left-back, and Danish international midfielder Albert Gronbaek, while England keeper Aaron Ramsdale is back in goal with ex-Blues loanee Alex McCarthy dropping to the bench.
Another former loanee James Bree starts for the Saints, but there’s no place for Flynn Downes in the squad. Jack Stephens, Tyler Dibling and Kamaldeen Sulemana are all on the bench after returning from injury.
Town: Muric, Tuanzebe, O’Shea, Greaves, Davis, Morsy (c), Cajuste, Hutchinson, Enciso, Broadhead, Delap. Subs: Slicker, Johnson, Godfrey, Townsend, Phillips, Taylor, J. Clarke, Philogene, Hirst.
Southampton: Ramsdale, Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Aribo, Bree, Fernandes, Ugochukwu, Gronbaek, Onuachu, Welington, Bednarek (c). Subs: McCarthy, Stephens, Smallbone, Armstrong, Lallana, Sugawara, Sulemana, Dibling, Bella-Kotchap. Referee: Michael Oliver (Ashington). VAR: Jarred Gillett.
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