Preview: Southampton vs. Blackburn Rovers - prediction, team news, lineups

Southampton will be looking to extend their Championship unbeaten streak when they play host to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday afternoon.

Although the Saints are sitting comfortably in the playoff spots, Blackburn - who are ninth in the standings - can move to within five points of their hosts with victory at St Mary's.

Match preview

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When a team has gone 13 matches unbeaten in a division such as the Championship, criticism should be the last thing that they should face, but momentum has been lost at Southampton over the past week.

After conceding a last-gasp equaliser at Watford, Russell Martin's side could only post another 1-1 draw at Coventry City in midweek.

With three draws in five matches, Southampton are now 12 points adrift of a relentless Ipswich Town side in the race for automatic promotion.

Martin will be delighted that his team have not conceded more than once in any of their last eight games, but Southampton have also not scored more than twice in their most recent seven matches.

The South Coast outfit also hold just a six-point gap over the chasing pack below the top six, with one of those clubs being their upcoming opponents.

Blackburn have continued with their inconsistent ways under Jon Dahl Tomasson this season, winning and losing 10 matches apiece and posting just the one draw.

Rovers went into their midweek clash with Bristol City having lost four of their previous seven fixtures, yet a 2-1 success has gotten them back on track.

Tomasson's side are now within two points of the playoff places at a time when they have prevailed in four of their last five away encounters.

However, they did lose at lowly Sheffield Wednesday last time out, hardly ideal ahead of travelling to a ground where Southampton have not lost since September 19.

Team News

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Sam Edozie's goal as a substitute against Coventry could earn the winger a recall to the Southampton XI.

Carlos Alcaraz and Ryan Fraser are also pushing to replace Joe Aribo and Che Adams in the final third, but the defence and midfield may stay the same unless Flynn Downes is fit enough to return in the engine room.

Harry Leonard could return to the Blackburn attack at the expense of Niall Ennis, who made his first Championship start of the season in midweek.

James Hill and Lewis Travis are both options in defence and midfield, but much will depend on if Tomasson wishes to stick with a 4-2-2-2 formation.

None of Blackburn's injured players are in line to make a return for this contest.

Southampton possible starting lineup:

Bazunu; Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Manning; Charles, Smallbone, S. Armstrong; Edozie, Fraser; A. Armstrong

Blackburn Rovers possible starting lineup:

Wahlstedt; Brittain, Carter, S. Wharton, Pickering; Tronstad, A. Wharton; Moran, Sigurdsson; Szmodics, Leonard

We say: Southampton 3-1 Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn make the long trip to the South Coast sensing that there is an opportunity to make real headway up the table and into the playoff mix. However, Southampton are due a clinical performance and we feel that may come against opponents who have suffered 10 defeats in 21 league matches.

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