Southampton vs Chelsea - Calf problem sidelines Saints full-back Cedric Soares

Posted Saturday, October 05, 2019 by PA

Southampton will once again be without full-back Cedric Soares when they host Chelsea in the Premier League.

The Portugal international pulled out in the warm-up ahead of last weekend’s loss at Tottenham and remains sidelined with a calf problem.

Forward Che Adams could return to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad after being dropped, while back-up goalkeeper Alex McCarthy is available again following a calf problem. Winger Moussa Djenepo (hip) is still unavailable.

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard will check on the fitness of N’Golo Kante.

The midfielder returned to the starting XI at Lille on Wednesday, after an ankle injury, and Lampard will now have to decide if he is fit enough to start back-to-back games.

The Blues remain without Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Achilles), Emerson Palmieri (thigh), Antonio Rudiger (groin) and Marco Van Ginkel (ACL) for the clash at St Mary’s.

Southampton provisional squad: Gunn, Bednarek, Yoshida, Vestergaard, Bertrand, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Hojbjerg, Boufal, Redmond, Ings, McCarthy, Danso, Valery, Stephens, Armstrong, Long, Obafemi, Adams.

Chelsea provisional squad: Arrizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Tomori, Christensen, Alonso, Kante, Jorginho, Kovacic, Mount, Willian, Abraham, Caballero, James, Zouma, Barkley, Pedro, Hudson-Odoi, Pulisic, Batshuayi, Giroud.