Key events
6 min: Much maligned for their insistence on playing out from the back, Southampton are showing no signs of being wedded to the policy today. Aaron Ramsdale has clipped three balls long already when atempting to play out from the back under pressure from lurking United players looked risky.
5 min: Marcus Rashford tries to cut inside after running on to a pass up the inside right from Christian Eriksen. Jack Stephens relieves him of the ball and clears.
3 min: It’s a big day for Southampton winger Tyler Dibling, who makes his first Premier League start today. The 18-year-old is a very highly regarded graduate from the Saints academy, who is back at the club after a short spell at Chelsea.
2 min: Southampton have opted for a change in system and line up with a back four and they might have changed their approach a little too. After playing one ball through the centre along the deck, Aaron Ramsdale launches another airborne clearance as far as he can down the middle.
Southampton v Man United is go …
1 min: Manchester United get the ball rolling, their players wearing navy shirts, shorts and socks. Their hosts are in red shirts, black shorts and white socks.
Not long now: Led by match referee Stuart Attwell and his team of assistants, the players of both sides make their way out on to the St Mary’s pitch ahead of the last of the pre-match formalities. It’s a sunny afternoon on the south coast, with condititions more or less perfect.
Erik Ten Hag: In an interview with TNT Sports, the Manchester United manager says Manuel Ugarte is not in his starting line-up because he has not had time to get assimilated into the squad properly yet.
“Manuel, we have to integrate into the team,” he says. “He has only had two sessions, we have to integrate and that takes time.”
On what the presence of Christian Eriksen in the side means for Casemiro: “We have a squad and we offer a lot of games, he will play I am convinced of this.”
Manchester United: Erik ten Hag accepts that if Manchester United’s poor results continue the backing offered by the club’s executive will fade, with the manager admitting: “You have to deliver.” Words: Jamie Jackson.
Today’s match officials
Manchester United: While a familiar tale of gloom is playing out at Old Trafford, Erik Ten Hag’s future is a distraction from the fact that United face more profound challenges, writes Barney Ronay.
Those teams: Contrary to expectations, there are no starting berths for Manuel Ugarte and Alejandro Garnacho, who are both on the bench after returning from international duty in South America. Christian Eriksen comes into midfield in place of Casemiro, while Amada Diallo is also back in the starting line-up in place of Garnacho.
Russell Martin makes four changes to the Southampton side that lost against Brentford last time out and switches to what looks like a back four. Leslie Ogochukwu, Matheus Fernandes, Tyler Dibling and Cameron Archer come into the side, with Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Joe Aribo and Adam Armstrong all dropping to the bench. Will Smallbone is not in the matchday squad.
Southampton v Manchester United line-ups
Southampton: Ramsdale, Sugawara, Bednarek, Stephens, Walker-Peters, Downes, Ugochukwu, Fernandes, Dibling, Archer, Brereton Diaz.
Subs: McCarthy, Harwood-Bellis, Taylor, Fraser, Lallana, Aribo, Cornet, Armstrong, Stewart.
Manchester United: Onana, Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez, Fernandes, Rashford, Zirkzee, Eriksen, Amad, Dalot, Mainoo.
Subs: Bayindir, Evans, Maguire, Casemiro, Collyer, Ugarte, Antony, Garnacho, Wheatley.
Russell Martin: “Changes will be made”
Southampton manager Russell Martin has thus far been loyal to the players who helped Southampton to the Premier League but after three consecutive defeats, he says he is ready to hand more opportunities to new recruits such as Cameron Archer, Mateus Fernandes, Maxwel Cornet and Ryan Fraser.
“I have to balance that loyalty and what they did last season with what some are actually doing now and the place they’re in right now,” he said. “Also, with the level of talent that’s come into the building, they need a bit of time to adapt, but we’ve brought in some really brilliant players.
“It’s about trying to get that right for them to come into the team. I think now it’s inevitable that changes will be made and people will have opportunities that they need to take.”
Early team news
Deadline day signing Manuel Ugarte is expected to make his debut for Manchester United today in place of Casemiro, who had a nightmare day at the office against Liverpool. Summer signing Leny Yoro remains sidelined with a leg injury, along with Tyrell Malacia, Mason Mount, Rasmus Hojlund, Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof.
Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu and striker Kamaldeen Sulemana are the only confirmed absentees for Southampton, while Ross Stewart is close to a return to full fitness and could feature in today’s squad. The Scottish striker has only played for Southampton four times since making the long trip to the south coast from Sunderland 20 months ago.
Southampton v Manchester United
Premier League: Without a point to their names after three games back in the top flight, Southampton welcome Manchester United to St Mary’s for the opening game of this weekend’s round of fixtures. Having come up through the playoffs, Russell Martin’s side have suffered three consecutive defeats but will be hopeful of taking something from this match despite the exalted status of their visitors.
United arrive on the south coast having suffered back-to-back defeats, the most recent being a hiding at the hands of Liverpool at Old Trafford just before the international break. They will hope to bounce back in style against hosts many have tipped for relegation and failure to do so will only ramp up the pressure on Erik Ten Hag. Kick-off at St Mary’s is at 12.30pm but we’ll have team news and build-up in the meantime.
