Southampton predicted XI for Premier League clash with Liverpool

With Liverpool set to finish 5th whatever the outcome, this is as dead of a dead-rubber as you get in the Premier League.

Outgoing Saints manager Ruben Selles will be determined to finish the season on a high but it’s no easy task against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.

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Despite their eventual failure to make the top four, Liverpool have won seven of their last eight games. Saints meanwhile have failed to win any of their last 12 in the league.

Last weekend at Brighton - in Saints’ first game since relegation was officially confirmed - Selles kept faith with much of the same team that had played in previous weeks although there was some excitement off the bench through debutants Kami Doyle and Dom Ballard as well as the returning Tino Livramento.

Che Adams, Mohammed Salisu, Juan Larios, and Romain Perraud all remain absent while striker Paul Onuachu is a doubt due to a back injury. Livramento emerged from the Brighton defeat unscathed but is not yet ready to start.

With that in mind, how could Saints line up for the final game of their 11-season Premier League stay?

Goalkeeper

Gavin Bazunu got the nod for the first 32 games of Saints’ league campaign but Alex McCarthy has now started each of his side’s last five and should keep his place for the final game of the term.

McCarthy was arguably at fault for two of Brighton’s three goals and has now shipped a total of 13 since taking over from Bazunu but Selles insisted it was a ‘not a difficult decision’ to keep the experienced shot-stopper in the net for the trip to the Amex Stadiun.

With that in mind, it seems almost certain that McCarthy will finish the season in goal.

Defence

With a number of defensive injuries and Livramento not yet ready to start, Saints could very well remain unchanged from last weekend’s defeat - at least in terms of their backline.

Jan Bednarek will keep his place as one of the first names on the team-sheet while Lyanco seems to be the preferred option over Duje Caleta-Car with both Salisu and Armel Bella-Kotchap sidelined.

Kyle Walker-Peters will retain his place - likely at right-back - which will allow James Bree to make his second consecutive start.

With nothing on the line, Bree is the exact kind of player who should be playing this final match as Saints begin to assess what they have in their squad ahead of next season’s Championship campaign.

Midfield

James Ward-Prowse and Romeo Lavia will continue to anchor the Saints midfield and it could be a tearful St Mary’s goodbye for both.

While Lavia has only been at the club for one season, his talent has shone through in a depressing campaign while Ward-Prowse could finally end his nearly two-decade long association with the club.

Still only one free-kick off of David Beckham’s Premier League record, it would be a glorious way for the Saints captain to go out if he could indeed get go level with the Manchester United winger in his final game with Saints - should it actually prove to be his final game.

Ahead of the two ever-present midfielders, Charly Alcaraz should retain his spot despite a couple of consecutive inconsistent displays. However, depending on Selles's set-up, Alcaraz could see his job be more of a striker's than midfielder's.

Attack

With Adams injured and Onuachu also a doubt, Selles could opt for Sekou Mara up front but we think it’s more likely he goes with a false nine formation.

That would leave Alcaraz flying further forward alongside one of Kamaldeen Sulemana or Theo Walcott.

Joe Aribo started up front last week but he barely made an impact and Walcott now seems the likelier choice.

The rest of the front four could well be filled out by Moi Elyounoussi and Stuart Armstrong - although it would be a welcome surprise to see one of Ballard or Doyle get the nod somewhere in Selles's team.