Preview: Southampton vs West Bromwich Albion - prediction, team news, lineups

Thriving under the tutelage of new permanent manager Tonda Eckert, Southampton seek a fifth win from six Championship games at home to West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday night.

The Saints conquered newly-promoted Birmingham City 3-1 over the weekend, while the inconsistent Baggies were beaten by the same scoreline at Queens Park Rangers.

Match preview

In just four matches as caretaker manager, former youth-team boss Eckert earned as many wins as Will Still did during his 16 games in charge of the Saints, overseeing a quarter of successive triumphs over QPR, Sheffield Wednesday, Charlton Athletic and Leicester City.

A 3-2 reverse to Millwall did not prove fatal to Eckert's job prospects, and the 32-year-old was made permanent head coach the day before Birmingham visited St Mary's, and he marked his promotion in the perfect way.

Thanks to an early Finn Azaz strike and Adam Armstrong double, Southampton ran out 3-1 winners over ambitious Birmingham, who briefly cut the deficit in half through Demarai Gray before Armstrong's second of the match.

Formerly sliding towards a demotion battle, the hosts have now forced their way back into the top half of the Championship table and sit 11th in the rankings, only three points shy of sixth-placed Stoke City.

Only time will tell if Eckert's feats are simply a case of the classic new manager bounce, but the youthful boss has worked his magic at St Mary's in particular so far, as Southampton have won three in a row at home while scoring at least three goals each time.

Two managers with a combined age of just 66 will lock horns on the touchline this weekend, as Ryan Mason - only two years Eckert's senior - aims to end West Brom's horrific run on the road.

The Baggies had lost five on the bounce away from home before Saturday's visit to QPR, who prolonged West Brom's streak of defeats on the road courtesy of Jonathan Varane's opener and a Rumarn Burrell brace.

Consistently inconsistent ever since the campaign began, the visitors are now scrapping at the wrong end of the Championship rankings, sliding to 16th in the table on account of winning just two of their last nine.

Mason's side are still closer to the playoff places than the relegation zone points-wise, but defensive deficiencies are plaguing the former Premier League regulars, who have kept just one clean sheet in their last 11 matches.

Furthermore, West Brom have suffered a humiliating eight defeats in their last 10 head-to-heads with Southampton, most recently falling to a 3-1 loss at St Mary's in the second leg of their 2023-24 Championship playoff semi-final.

Southampton Championship form:

West Bromwich Albion Championship form:

Team News

Southampton's success over Birmingham last time out came at a slight cost, as Armstrong was forced off in the second half with a knock, and Eckert has confirmed that he will need assessing before the midweek battle.

Cameron Archer is primed to fill in for Armstrong if need be, but the Saints will suffer without the latter; alongside Azaz, Armstrong has registered the most goal involvements of any player in England's top four tiers since the start of November (eight, five goals and three assists).

Ross Stewart (hamstring), Elias Jelert (thigh), Shea Charles (hamstring), Mads Roerslev (knee), Damion Downs (unspecified) and Welington (ankle) are also missing for the hosts; Roerslev's absence should see ex-West Brom winger Tom Fellows start on the right.

From ex-Baggies to current Baggies, West Brom will be missing on-loan Southampton left-back Charlie Taylor, who is ineligible to face his parent club this week.

In brighter defensive news, ex-Liverpool centre-back Nat Phillips is back at Mason's disposal after serving a yellow-card suspension, so Krystian Bielik should vacate his place in the rearguard.

Fitness-wise, on-loan Manchester United midfielder Toby Collyer was recently sent back to the Red Devils with a "big" calf injury, although it is not yet clear exactly how long he will be sidelined for.

Southampton possible starting lineup:

Bazunu; Wood, Harwood-Bellis, Stephens; Fellows, Downes, Aribo, Manning; Scienza, Azaz; Archer

West Bromwich Albion possible starting lineup:

Wildsmith; Campbell, Mepham, Phillips, Styles; Molumby, Mowatt; Johnston, Grant, Iling-Junior; Heggebo

We say: Southampton 2-1 West Bromwich Albion

West Brom's atrocious away form is a stark contrast to Southampton's recent feats at St Mary's, although Armstrong would be a significant miss for the hosts if he is indeed ruled out.

Regardless, the in-form Saints should have enough firepower to battle past notoriously terrible travellers, but it is sure to be close.

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