TEAMtalk

Southampton v Coventry preview

Friday 27-April-2012 11:07

Southampton will be without Richard Chaplow for the game after he suffered a hamstring injury during last Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Middlesbrough.

Steve de Ridder, Guly do Prado or Jason Puncheon could fill in on the right of midfield in Chaplow's absence.

Japan striker Tadanari Lee is still missing with an ankle injury so Billy Sharp partners 31-goal top scorer Rickie Lambert in attack again.

Morgan Schneiderlin and Frazer Richardson are pushing for recalls after missing out at Boro.

Saints go into the sell-out game knowing a win will guarantee back-to-back promotions and a return to the Premier League after an absence of seven years.

Coventry, meanwhile, are set to hand a first start to Jordan Willis as influential centre-back Richard Keogh serves a one-match suspension.

Willis, a 17-year-old Academy graduate, has just two substitute appearances under his belt but looks certain to step into the heart of defence.

The teenager comes in following Keogh's red card in last weekend's 2-0 defeat to Doncaster - a result which confirmed the Sky Blues' relegation to League One.

Andy Thorn is already without defenders Cyrus Christie, Nathan Cameron, Richard Wood (all knee) and Hermann Hreidarsson (shoulder).

On-loan striker Alex Nimely will again be assessed having missed the last two games with a hamstring complaint, as will midfielder David Bell after he sat out last Saturday. Skipper Sammy Clingan (Achilles) will again play no part.