Southampton head coach Russell Martin will be forced into at least two changes for Sunday's Premier League clash with leaders Liverpool at St Mary's.
The Saints have suffered two crushing injury blows since their 2-0 loss at Wolverhampton Wanderers a fortnight ago, as Aaron Ramsdale and Jan Bednarek are facing weeks out with respective finger and knee problems.
The pair form part of a quintet of definite absentees for Southampton, who are also missing Gavin Bazunu (Achilles), Ross Stewart (hamstring) and William Smallbone (hamstring) for the top vs. bottom battle.
With Ramsdale and Bazunu missing, Alex McCarthy will don the gloves on Sunday, but Martin is facing a dilemma over whom to select in place of the stricken Bednarek in his five-man wall.
Nathan Wood is an out-and-out central option, but as he has not played a single minute of Premier League football this season, Yukinari Sugawara may be preferred as a makeshift centre-half, allowing Ryan Manning and Kyle Walker-Peters to continue out wide.
Sugawara would join Jack Stephens and new England goalscorer Taylor Harwood-Bellis at the back if that is the case, while Flynn Downes is expected to recover from a knee injury in time to displace ex-Liverpool man Adam Lallana.
Martin may limit his alterations further forward, though, meaning that Tyler Dibling could be restricted to another bench cameo as Mateus Fernandes, Cameron Archer and Adam Armstrong continue up front.
Southampton possible starting lineup:
McCarthy; Walker-Peters, Sugawara, Stephens, Harwood-Bellis, Manning; Armstrong, Downes, Aribo, Fernandes; Archer
> Click here to see how Liverpool could line up for this clash
Ben Knapton
