Southampton will be aiming to make it five straight wins in the Championship when they head to Ashton Gate on Tuesday evening to tackle Bristol City.
The Saints are currently second in the table, 11 points behind the leaders Leicester City with a game in hand, while Bristol City sit 13th, six points off the playoff positions in the second tier of English football.
Match preview
© Reuters
Bristol City were knocked out of the FA Cup on penalties by Nottingham Forest on Wednesday evening, but they bounced back impressively in the Championship on Saturday, recording a 2-1 victory over Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium.
The result left Bristol City 13th in the Championship table, boasting a record of 11 wins, eight draws and 12 defeats from 31 matches to collect 41 points.
The Robins are only six points off the playoffs in the second tier, and a victory over Southampton on Tuesday would certainly boost confidence in the camp.
Liam Manning's side have been inconsistent at home in the Championship this season, picking up 21 points from 15 matches, and they will be welcoming a Southampton side that have picked up 29 points from their 15 away games in the second tier of English football this term.
Bristol City beat Southampton 2-0 when the pair last locked horns at Ashton Gate in November 2011, but the Saints won 1-0 in the reverse match at St Mary's earlier this season.
© Reuters
Southampton finished bottom of the Premier League table last season to drop into the Championship, but they are firmly in the mix to secure to secure an immediate return to the top flight.
The Saints have won 19, drawn seven and lost four of their 30 league games this season to collect 64 points, which has left them second in the table, 11 points behind the leaders Leicester with a game in hand.
Southampton are one point ahead of third-placed Leeds United, meanwhile, and it is a fascinating battle for the position behind Leicester, with Ipswich Town also very much in the argument.
Russell Martin's side have won their last four in the Championship, including a 5-3 victory over Huddersfield Town on Saturday, with the Saints scoring three times in the final 10 minutes to triumph after trailing 3-2.
Southampton have another four Championship matches against Bristol City, West Bromwich Albion, Hull City and Millwall before heading to Liverpool in the fifth round of the FA Cup at the end of the month.
Team News
© Reuters
Bristol City will be without the services of five players through injury, with Scott Twine, Mark Sykes, Kal Naismith, Rob Atkinson and Ayman Benarous unavailable for selection.
The home side have no fresh fitness problems from their clash with Middlesbrough, though, and it would not be a surprise to see the same XI take to the field for this contest.
Jason Knight scored his third league goal of the campaign against Boro and will continue in the final third of the field, while there should be another start for Nahki Wells.
As for Southampton, Juan Larios, Ross Stewart and James Bree are confirmed absentees, while Joe Aribo is with the Nigeria squad preparing for Sunday's Africa Cup of Nations final, so he is unlikely to be involved.
Flynn Downes was substituted in the first half of the clash with Huddersfield, and his replacement Joe Rothwell scored a brace, with the 29-year-old now set to come into the XI.
David Brooks and Sam Edozie are also pushing to be introduced into the side, but Adam Armstrong and Che Adams should keep hold of their starting roles for the clash on Tuesday night.
Bristol City possible starting lineup:
O'Leary; Tanner, Vyner, Dickie, Pring; Bell, James, Gardner-Hickman, Cornick; Knight, Wells
Southampton possible starting lineup:
Bazunu; Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Manning; Smallbone, Rothwell, S Armstrong; A Armstrong, Adams, Fraser
We say: Bristol City 1-2 Southampton
Southampton will be eyeing their 20th Championship win of the campaign on Tuesday evening, but it will be tough against a solid Bristol City outfit. It would not be a surprise to see the points shared in this match, but we just have a feeling that the Saints will shade it to secure a vital three points.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
