Southampton Team vs Manchester United Man Utd [21:00 Tonight]

TEAM NEWS

Southampton midfielder Jack Cork has been ruled out for six weeks with an ankle injury while Toby Alderweireld is a doubt with a hamstring problem.

Monday's match will also come too soon for midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin, but Dusan Tadic has overcome a knock.

United captain Wayne Rooney will be fit to face Saints after a knee injury.

But Angel Di Maria's hamstring problem will see him miss a second consecutive match.

MATCH PREVIEW

It was billed as crunch time for Southampton, the crucible in which their mettle would be tested. Cue lots of knowing looks and cries of "I told you so" after defeats by Manchester City and Arsenal.

Ronald Koeman was honest enough to acknowledge that Southampton were comfortably beaten by City at St Mary's, but was also correct in saying that had he been able to keep 11 players on the pitch at the Emirates, Southampton might well have earned a valuable point against Arsenal.

I was convinced before the season started that Southampton would have another good year despite the summer sales, and I still think a top-four finish is possible.

They may need some better luck than they had at Arsenal to achieve that, but why not? It would be massively refreshing to see a club go from League One to the Champions League in just four years.

Manchester United have exactly the same goal as Southampton. Louis van Gaal has acknowledged that winning the title is really only a statistical possibility, so a return to the top four is their aim.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/30272012

 Manchester United moved to third in the Premier League after Robin van Persie's brace gave them victory over an often-superior Southampton at St Mary's.

United took an early lead as Van Persie pounced on Jose Fonte's slack backpass, but Graziano Pelle swept in a deserved equaliser as the Saints fought back.

Southampton had plenty of chances, but Van Persie guided in Wayne Rooney's deep free-kick for the decisive goal.

 United's fifth successive Premier League win came despite registering only three shots at goal to Southampton's 15 as the visitors' occasionally shambolic defensive performance cast further doubt over their solidity at the other end.

But the mere fact of the club's return to the top three for the first time since August 2013 will raise hopes they can remain there until the end of the season - the bare minimum requested by chief executive Ed Woodward this summer. - BBC