Preview: Lincoln City vs Southampton - prediction, team news, lineups

Looking to record their third consecutive clean sheet, second-tier minnows Lincoln City welcome promotion-chasing Southampton to ProAmpac Stadium for a Championship battle on Saturday afternoon.

The Imps played out a goalless draw with relegation-tipped Blackburn Rovers earlier in the week, whilst the Saints were forced to settle for a point in the Second City at the home of Birmingham City.

Match preview

Back in the second tier of English football for the first time in 65 years, Lincoln City have relied massively on goalkeeper George Wickens, who has saved a league-high 4.5 shots per match so far this season.

The efforts of the 24-year-old and his teammates have allowed the co-managed Imps to collect four points from their opening quartet of fixtures, leaving them in a respectable 17th spot in the Championship standings.

In fact, Lincoln are enjoying a three-game unbeaten sequence across second tier and EFL Cup duties, with 10-man Blackburn only managing a share of the spoils at ProAmpac Stadium on Tuesday night.

A positive sign for the tough challenges ahead, the Imps have keep consecutive clean sheets in battles against Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn, with Chris Cohen's side seeking to record three straight shutouts for the first time since March.

Boasting experience of promotion from this level and game time in the Premier League, Chiedozie Ogbene joined Lincoln on transfer deadline day after being deemed surplus to requirements by Ipswich Town.

Despite their four-point deduction due to last season's spying antics, Southampton are still one of the most fancied forces in the Championship promotion race, backed up by their recent home form.

Tonda Eckert's men have battered Stoke City and Millwall at St Mary's Stadium by an aggregate scoreline of 8-2, however, the Saints are yet to record a second-tier away success in two attempts this campaign.

Southampton were on course for maximum points on the road earlier in the week when summer signing Keven Schlotterbeck headed home the opener at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, but Birmingham equalised after half time thanks to an August Priske effort.

To be truthful, the Saints were a little off-colour in attack in the Second City and could have scored more than once in the first period, with leading marksman Cyle Larin missing a number of big chances.

Southampton have lost just two of their 17 competitive meetings (W10 D5) with Lincoln, and the South Coast club's sole defeat at the home of the Imps arrived all the way back in September 1932 during an old Division Two fixture.

Lincoln City Championship form:

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Lincoln City form (all competitions):

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Southampton Championship form:

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Team News

After featuring 179 times for Lincoln over a six-year spell, defender Adam Jackson has been released from his contract but continues to train with the first team.

Following their clean sheet versus Blackburn, the Imps should stick with a centre-back trio of Deji Elerewe, Ryley Towley and former Derby County man Callum Elder.

Yet to feature this season, Southampton midfielder Caspar Jander is continuing to recover from a muscular injury.

That being said, Flynn Downes could still have a new partner in the midfield double pivot, with Cameron Bragg potentially making way for South Coast sweetheart James Ward-Prowse.

After appearances off the bench at Birmingham, wingers Kuryu Matsuki and Lewis Dobbin will be looking to take Tom Fellows's spot in the starting XI.

Lincoln City possible starting lineup:

Wickens; Elerewe, Towler, Elder; Jeffries, Bayliss, McGrandles, Reach; Hackett, Street, Draper

Southampton possible starting lineup:

Peretz; Bree, Wood, Schlotterbeck, Manning; Ward-Prowse, Downes; Matsuki, Azaz, Scienza; Larin

We say: Lincoln City 1-2 Southampton

Following favourable fixtures with Bolton and Blackburn over the past week, Lincoln now welcome one of the promotion favourites to the ProAmpac on Saturday.

Southampton will surely claim maximum points if they avoid a repeat of the attacking wastefulness they exhibited at Birmingham on Tuesday night.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.