Team News: Alvaro Negredo, Gaston Ramirez out for Middlesbrough

Alvaro Negredo and Gaston Ramirez have missed out on Middlesbrough's trip to Southampton this afternoon.

The strikers are absent from Boro's matchday squad after picking up knocks in training last week, meaning that Christian Stuani and Jordan Rhodes come into the side to join Viktor Fischer in the front line.

Aitor Karanka names an otherwise-unchanged lineup from the 1-0 victory over Hull City, with Adam Clayton, Marten de Roon and Adam Forshaw tasked with patrolling the middle of the park.

For the hosts, Claude Puel makes five changes from the side that suffered a 3-0 defeat at relegation-threatened Crystal Palace a week ago, with Charlie Austin ruled out of the clash after picking up a shoulder injury in the side's midweek Europa League game with Hapoel Be'er Sheva.

Sofiane Boufal is joined on the front line by Jay Rodriguez and Dusan Tadic, while Jordy Clasie and Oriol Romeu come in to partner James Ward-Prowse in midfield.

There are two changes in the back four as Sam McQueen and Cuco Martina come in either side of centre-back pairing Virgil van Dijk and Jose Fonte.

Southampton: Forster; Martina, Fonte, Van Dijk, McQueen; Ward-Prowse, Romeu, Clasie; Rodriguez, Tadic, Boufal Subs: Taylor, Yoshida, Long, Davis, Reed, Bertrand, Redmond

Middlesbrough: Valdes; Barragan, Chambers, Gibson, Fabio; Clayton, De Roon, Forshaw; Stuani, Fischer, Rhodes Subs: Guzan, Bernardo, Nsue, Leadbitter, Traore, Downing, Nugent