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Southampton vs Tottenham FA Cup preview: Hard for Spurs to go through this time

  /  Rick

Tottenham continue their FA Cup campaign with a trip to face resurgent Southampton this weekend.

Spurs needed a replay to squeeze past Championship Middlesbrough in the third round, while their opponents - who have rocketed up to ninth in the Premier League - saw off second-tier opposition in Huddersfield at the first attempt.

Date: Saturday, January 25th, 2020

Venue: St Mary's, Southampton

Kick-off time: UTC 2020/01/25 15:00

Prediction: Southampton 2-1 Tottenham

After previously looking a decent bet for relegation, the Saints have been on a tear of late, winning five of their last seven top-flight games to move within three points of fifth-placed Manchester United.

Tottenham, meanwhile, finally recorded their first league win of 2020 on Wednesday night, but a narrow 2-1 home defeat of rock-bottom Norwich was hardly convincing.

Danny Ings struck the winner when these sides last met on the south coast on New Year's Day - a game that also saw Harry Kane suffer a torn hamstring.

Spurs have struggled for goals in the absence of their talisman and another difficult afternoon at St Mary's likely lies in store.

Southampton: The hosts will be forced into at least three changes to their starting XI after manager Ralph Hasenhuttl confirmed Cedric Soares would be sidelined for around three weeks, with Shane Long and Jannik Vestergaard also unavailable.

Injury list: Cedric Soares (knee), Yan Valery (viral infection), Jannik Vestergaard (concussion), Shane Long (knee), Jan Bednarek (achilles)

Tottenham: Jose Mourinho is hopeful that England midfielder Harry Winks will miss "weeks not months" with an ankle injury sustained in the midweek win over Norwich.

Injury list: Harry Kane (hamstring), Moussa Sissoko (knee), Ben Davies (ankle), Harry Winks (ankle)

Southampton possible starting lineup:

McCarthy; Danso, Stephens, Vestergaard, Bertrand; Armstrong, Ward-Prowse, Hojbjerg, Redmond; Obafemi, Ings

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Gazzaniga; Aurier, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Tanganga; Dier, Ndombele; Gedson, Lo Celso, Lucas; Son