SAINTS have received an injury boost ahead of tonight's game against Derby, with Adam Lallana available for selection.

The midfielder - credited in some quarters with the goal that gave Saints victory at Pride Park back in August - missed the matches against Ipswich and Birmingham with an ankle injury.

Head coach Mark Wotte said: "Adam is available for tonight. That's a good thing, because Adam can create a lot, he can give us more offensive variations, so I'm happy."

Despite having their three-match winning streak broken at Birmingham, Wotte will not be making many changes.

"I'm not keen on changing too soon," he said.

"We won three matches, we played three excellent matches, and I have to give credit to the players that did that.

"So it's either Morgan Schneiderlin or Adam Lallana or David McGoldrick that has to start on the bench. That's the only worry that I have, that's the only decision that I have to take."

Wotte described McGoldrick's performance at Birmingham, where he was substituted at half-time, as "poor".

Keeping faith But the Dutchman is likely to keep faith with him after three impressive displays previously.

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"A young player is entitled to play a not so good 45 minutes, it doesn't mean he's not good enough to start again," he said.

"We have to be careful to make changes after you lose a game, because the three wins in a row proved that we can do a good job with the players.

"The most important thing is that the players that are starting are fully committed and fully focused on a good performance."

Saints could escape the drop zone for the first time since Christmas with a win tonight.

Full story and more Saints v Derby previews in today's Daily Echo.