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Leicester City vs Southampton. Premier League.

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Leicester v Southampton preview: Saints target crucial victory

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 during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Southampton at St. James Park on March 10, 2018 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
Image: Southampton are five points from safety in the Premier League

Relegation-threatened Southampton will be looking for a much-needed win when they travel to Leicester on Thursday.

Saints are five points from safety in the Premier League having lost their last three games in a row.

That run includes a 3-2 defeat to Chelsea at the weekend when Saints were 2-0 up after 60 minutes.

With Southampton also set to face Chelsea in the semi-finals of the FA Cup on Sunday, Saints midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg says "the next few weeks are life-changing".

"Wherever our paths go, and wherever all our ways go, whether it's short-term or long-term, this will all change our lives, this will all change our way of looking on football.

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"We don't want people to feel sorry for us. As lucky as we are, we're the ones who brought on this situation and we're the ones who will - not who can, or who have to, or who might - we are the ones who will get us out of this situation."

Leicester saw their hopes of a seventh-placed finish fade after a 2-1 defeat to Burnley at the weekend.

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The loss leaves the Foxes nine points behind the Clarets with five games left to play.

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Watch a preview of Thursday's Premier League games as Burnley host Chelsea and Southampton travel to Leicester

Team news

Kasper Schmeichel and Shinji Okazaki are injury concerns for Leicester. Goalkeeper Schmeichel and striker Okazaki were both forced off with ankle injuries during the defeat at Burnley last weekend and they will be assessed by the club's medical team.

Daniel Amartey has resumed training after his hamstring injury but Thursday's game might come too soon for him to be involved while fellow midfielder Wilfred Ndidi is available again after a ban.

Southampton are likely to be without Mario Lemina and Sofiane Boufal. Midfielder Lemina has been suffering with back and hamstring problems, while winger Boufal is ill.

Jack Stephens serves the second game of a three-match ban, but captain Steven Davis is fit to travel following a hamstring injury.

LEICESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 23:  Kasper Schmeichel of Leicester City looks on during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Liverpool at Th
Image: Kasper Schmeichel is an injury concern for Leicester

Match stats

  • Leicester won the reverse of this fixture 4-1 in December - they've not done the Premier League double over Southampton since the 1999-00 campaign.
  • Saints are winless in all four of their Premier League visits to the King Power Stadium (D2 L2), with their last away top-flight win at Leicester coming at Filbert Street in December 2001 (4-0).
  • The Foxes are winless in their three previous Premier League games played on a Thursday (D2 L1), with their only such home game finishing in a 6-1 defeat against Spurs in May 2017.
  • Saints have kept a clean sheet in their last three Thursday Premier League games, winning the last two in a row, most recently against Arsenal in January 2015 (2-0).

Merson's prediction

Southampton have to win. They have Leicester and then Bournemouth at home. Both are winnable, but I just think to Saturday, 2-0 up against a side who didn't really want to be there. There has to be something wrong with Saints.

They were unlucky, I know. Marcos Alonso has to be sent off. But if you're 2-0 up with 20 minutes to go, you don't lose.

Saints have to win, and the last thing you want to do is attack Leicester, giving Jamie Vardy space on the counter-attack and with Mahrez's vision, I don't see how you can stop that.

PAUL PREDICTS: 2-1 (8/1 with Sky Bet)

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