Jay Rodriguez has been handed a first start in seven months for Southampton's trip to Aston Villa this afternoon.

Rodriguez's reinstatement is one of four changes from Ronald Koeman, as Cedric, Oriol Romeu and Steven Davis are also included in the XI. Cuco Martina, Jordy Clasie, Sadio Mane and Graziano Pelle are the players to miss out.

Meanwhile, both Jose Fonte and Victor Wanyama have been passed fit to start despite having suffered from concussion and a rib injury respectively.

The hosting Midlanders display two alterations to the side whom Manchester United consigned to relegation - Micah Richards and Carlos Sanchez come in at the expense of Ciaran Clark and Kieran Richardson, who both picked up knocks last time out.

Aston Villa: Guzan; Hutton, Richards, Lescott, Cissokho; Sanchez, Westwood, Gana; Bacuna, Ayew, Sinclair
Subs: Veretout, Gil, Bunn, Lyden, Gestede, Grealish, Toner

Southampton: Forster, Cedric, van Dijk, Fonte, Bertrand, Romeu, Wanyama, Tadic, Steven Davis, Rodriguez, Long
Subs: Yoshida, Clasie, Mane, Martina, Ward-Prowse, Pelle, Stekelenburg

Written by
Dan Saney