The match pack for Southampton v Manchester United includes team news, statistics, manager quotes, odds and our prediction.
The game kicks off at 1945 BST at St Mary's, live on Sky Sports 1.
Southampton v Manchester United: Our prediction
If ever there were a game that needed livening up with a financial interest, it’s this one, writes Andy Schooler
Southampton will finish somewhere between eighth and 11th in the Premier League after a slightly-disappointing but far-from-disastrous first season under Claude Puel, while United’s eggs are now all in the Europa League basket. They can no longer make the top four and will finish fifth or sixth, most likely the latter where they have resided for much of the campaign.
With their Europa final now just seven days away – and another largely meaningless game to squeeze in on Sunday – United’s team news will have a big bearing on this one.
Boss Jose Mourinho has stated he’ll be resting certain individuals for certain games, calling it a “step-by-step” process, with his suggestion being that wholesale changes for one of the two remaining matches won’t be forthcoming.
We already know Daley Blind will be sitting this one out and others will surely do so too, although you’d imagine this will be a stronger United XI than the one which is fielded against Crystal Palace at the weekend.
If that is indeed the case when the line-ups are announced, United will look decent value at around the 7/4 mark.
They’ve won 10 of their 18 away games in the league thus far and, to be fair, have coped fairly well with the spate of injuries they’ve had throughout the season, in particular in defence where they have remained a tight unit.
Their opponents have struggled badly against the league’s best sides and have failed to win any of their nine games thus far against members of the Big Six.
At St Mary’s they have taken one point from a possible 15, scoring just one goal and conceding 11. In recent weeks, they’ve lost 3-0 at home to Manchester City and, only last week, 2-0 to Arsenal. Chelsea and Spurs also left with two - and three-goal winning margins respectively.
There are currently 20 points between these sides in the table and that says much.
I don’t have the advantage of knowing United’s team when writing this preview but based on what is known, 7/4 about an away win is worthy of consideration.
However, it’s not a bet I can put up right now and I’ll instead go for something more speculative, particularly after watching Chelsea’s 4-3 win over Watford in what was another game which meant very little. It featured plenty of team changes, basically saw a break from the norm and resulted in something few would have predicted.
Looking through the goalscorer markets, United youngster Scott McTominay looks a tempting price at 20/1 to score the first goal – if indeed he gets the nod to start, which is certainly possible.
Having made his Premier League debut as a substitute at Spurs on Sunday, McTominay was left out of the under-23s game on Monday and looks set to feature in some form at St Mary’s.
Admittedly his goalscoring record in that under-23 team isn’t particularly eyecatching – three goals in 17 appearances from largely a midfield role – but he is on offer at 20/1 in the first scorer market which is big for any midfielder who likes to get forward.
At 6ft 4in, the Scottish starlet can also offer a real threat from set-plays – an area where Southampton have been weak of late.
They conceded from a corner during Saturday’s win at Middlesbrough (their first success in six games) and did likewise in the recent 4-2 loss at Chelsea.
Overall they have conceded 17 set-piece goals this season – the third worst record in the top flight – with Spurs and Man City other members of the Big Six to have netted from corners at St Mary’s this term.
The price just looks too big, especially when you consider this United team is hardly packed with goalscorers.
Even if McTominay doesn’t start, there’s still a chance he could net the first off the bench with four of Southampton’s last five at home having reached half-time goalless. Incidentally, that 0-0 HT bet rewarded colleague Nick Hext in last week’s Southampton v Arsenal clash and this week will tempt more in at 15/8.
If he’s not on the field when the first goal is scored, it’s money back so a small slice of the 20/1 (bet365, NetBet, 10Bet) in the first scorer market looks worth a go.
Prediction: Southampton 0-2 Manchester United
Southampton v Manchester United: Team news
Southampton have no fresh injury worries as they continue their push for a top-eight Premier League finish against Manchester United at St Mary's on Wednesday.
Virgil van Dijk has returned to training and is running again as he recovers from a foot injury, but the Dutch centre-half remains sidelined for their final two games of the season.
Goalkeeper Alex McCarthy (hamstring) is also back in training but is not available to feature against Manchester United.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is planning changes.
Daley Blind will be among those rested at St Mary's but Marouane Fellaini is available for Wednesday's Premier League match after serving a three match-ban.
Paul Pogba is on compassionate leave following the death of his father on Friday, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Marcos Rojo (both knee), Ashley Young (hamstring), Luke Shaw (foot) and Tim Fosu-Mensah (shoulder) are out through injury.
Teams:
Southampton (from): Forster, Hassan, Soares, Martina, Pied, Yoshida, Stephens, Targett, Caceres, Bertrand, McQueen, Romeu, Hojbjerg, Davis, Clasie, Ward-Prowse, Tadic, Boufal, Redmond, Rodriguez, Long, Gabbiadini, Sims, Austin.
Manchester United (from): De Gea, Romero, Pereira, Valencia, Darmian, Jones, Smalling, Mitchell, Tuanzebe, Olosunde, Bailly, Carrick, Herrera, Lingard, Mata, Fellaini, McTominay, Mkhitaryan, Willock, Martial, Rashford, Rooney.
Southampton v Manchester United: Manager quotes
Claude Puel (Southampton)
On why this is not an EFL Cup final revenge mission: "It's been a long time since the (EFL Cup) final against Manchester United, It's a Premier League game, so we cannot just focus about that game. The game is not revenge because it's important to keep a good energy and to enjoy our football and just to focus about this, not anything else.
"This team has great players and a strong squad. For example, (Ander) Herrera, (Henrikh) Mkhitaryan, (Paul) Pogba, and (Marcus) Rashford can all play against us because they were rested for the last game.
"In any game, they have a strong team and it will a difficult game against Manchester United and they will play with a good intensity and try and take points off us."
On his own future: "I cannot be distracted about the speculation.
"The most important thing is to think about finishing strong in the Premier League. After that, I cannot make comments about speculation.
"I'm on contract, a three-year contract, with a project. I am happy here, with the directors, the staff and the players but the most important to continue to improve.
"There's no need to give assurances because it matters about what is on the pitch with the quality. It's the second youngest team in the table and we continue to improve for the future."
Jose Mourinho (Manchester United)
On fixture congestion: "The accumulation of the games, I never had that.."You know that in all of my career I was never (knocked) out of European competitions in the group phases and in the last 16 I was out only once.
"So I reached the semi-finals 10 times, I go always until the end of the competitions.
"In the League Cup I normally go far. In the domestic competitions cups, I won in Spain, in Italy, in Portugal so I normally have a lot of matches. But like this I never have, I never have.
"This situation of you play a final and the game that you should play that day is going to be postponed until the last week, for the last week! This is crazy.
"And I repeat the same - thank you Michael Oliver because we were out in the FA Cup, because if we go to the FA Cup semi-finals it would be a total disaster. I don't know when we would be playing that game.
"I never, ever have had a situation like this and on top of that the accumulation of big injuries, not small, not the injuries that you say 'okay, hamstring, two weeks'.
"No. It's surgery, boom, boom. It's surgery - one knee, another knee. Another foot. Just big surgeries.
"So fewer players and fewer players and fewer players. It's very difficult, really very difficult. But we are there and we go to the final."
On facing Southampton: "What I want for the players is a good attitude, is a positive attitude, a positive approach, is team spirit, is understanding that some guys they have to sacrifice themselves for the good of others.
"(Daley) Blind played today (against Tottenham) after 90 minutes on Thursday. The next one, of course, (Marouane) Fellaini has to play the next one.
"Team spirit, empathy and the fantastic attitude that everybody has is not one more victory, one more point, one more defeat that is going to change something.
"A final is a final and we have to go to the final with everything like Ajax does because they have finished the season and they do not have any more football to play until the final."
On Paul Pogba: "I don't think (he will be available).
"I think that his dad's funeral has to be between Tuesday and Wednesday in France.
"I don't think that Paul has the conditions to play. We have left him completely free to be back when he thinks he's ready."
Southampton v Manchester United: Opta facts
Southampton are winless in their last five home Premier League games against the Red Devils, losing four of those by a single goal margin (D1).
Manchester United’s last away defeat in the Premier League to Southampton came in August 2003, with James Beattie scoring the only goal of the game.
Four of Manchester United’s five goals against Southampton in all competitions this season have been scored by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has been ruled out for the season.
Manolo Gabbadiani netted both of Southampton’s goals in the EFL Cup Final in February, which they lost 3-2.
Manchester United have come from behind to beat Southampton on eight occasions in the Premier League (including in this exact fixture last season) – the most any team has done so against another in the competition’s history.
Southampton have failed to score in their last three home league games, with their goalless drought at St Mary’s currently standing at four hours 35 minutes. They’ve never gone four top-flight home games without a goal.
Manchester United haven’t lost three successive Premier League games in a row (or in a single month) since December 2015 under Louis Van Gaal.
Jose Mourinho’s side have won more points away from home this season in the Premier League (34 in 18 games) than they have at Old Trafford (31 in 18 games).
Even if Southampton win their remaining two Premier League matches of the season, the maximum points tally that they can achieve is 51 points – this will be lower than in 2015-16 (63), 2014-15 (60) and 2013-14 (56).
Manchester United (17 wins) need to win both of their remaining Premier League games in 2016-17 to avoid it being their lowest tally of wins in a single Premier League season. They won 19 in both 2013-14 and 2015-16.
Southampton v Manchester United: Sky Bet odds
Southampton are Sky Bet’s marginal favourites at 8/5 with Manchester United priced at 7/4 while the draw is a 9/4 chance. Manolo Gabbiadini and Marcus Rashford head the first goalscorer betting at 5/1 despite neither starting their sides’ respective last games, while Antony Martial is enhanced from 13/2 to 15/2 to net first in Sky Bet’s Price Boosts. Jose Mourinho’s side may have fallen short of the top-four this season but they are considered 11/4 second favourites to win the Premier League title next season, while the Saints are up against odds of 150/1.
