The Saints squad will again be stretched to the limits as they travel to Liverpool hoping to gain a point or three that could see Premier League safety completely and mathematically secured with four game still left to play.

Those that were predicting that Saints were in freefall and would be relegated were proved wrong and the team travel to the North West on Saturday knowing that by the end of the weekend they could be mathematically safe from relegation.

A win for Saints would see them on 40 points, a total that West Brom currently on 26 points could not reach and Fulham could only match should they win all of their last 4 games.

But a draw or even defeat for Saints could just about push us over the safety line with West Brom facing a tough trip to Arsenal on Sunday and then on Monday evening Fulham taking on Burnley.

But if we get anything at Anfield we will once again have to do it the hard way as it seems the squad will be depleted with injury, ineligibility and perhaps even suspension.

Danny Ings, Oriol Romeu, Ryan Bertrand & Will Smallbone are all likely to be missing through injury, whilst loanee Takumi Minamino is not able to play against his parent club under the Premier League rules.

The club are also still waiting for news as to whether Jannik Vestergaard's first-half red card during Friday night's draw against Leicester will be overturned.

So that is the possibility of six players from the squad being unavailable although Michael Obafemi could well return to the bench after a number of months out.

Photo: Action Images

WestSussexSaint added 13:13 - May 5 The headline suggested more doom and gloom, but there is nothing really new in the reported absentees. Indeed Smallbone and Romeu are out for the season so it would have been a shock if they weren’t unavailable. The only changes from the last match will be Vestergaard and Minamino. Vestergaard may not be missing if the red card is overturned (and even if it is does Salisu deserve another go at CB?) and Minamino who, of all the players who stayed on the pitch on Friday, was the least influential (personally I think he should have been the one to be subbed off for Salisu and not Tella). All in all if we replicate the performance from Friday with a bit more attacking threat courtesy of having 11 players then we have a decent chance of getting something from the game.

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ChristchurchSaint added 13:52 - May 5 Totally agree WSS- when I saw the headline, I thought “Oh s**t, not again”. I appreciate that it’s tempting fate, but if they can put in a similar performance to last Friday, throughout the whole team, then at least one point is not unachievable, and if Liverpool have one of their recent matches, then 3 points is a possibility.
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underweststand added 16:16 - May 5 Yes it makes a headline Nick, but a serious look doesn't change the pattern significantly. Naturally ...Minamino cannot be considered as he is on loan from Liverpool. Sad for Will Smallbone, but hopefully we can plan to have him back fit for next season. Danny Ings may get more games, and perhaps finish the season with a goal or two more. Ralph will plan for a future without Ryan Bertrand so we might as well accept that now. Having been told that both Romeu AND Obafemi are back in training sooner than expected ...that can only be good news. The best news being Vestergaard's reprieve from his undeserved red card. Referee Jones has now officiated Leicester 4 times (of his 10 Prem. games so far) and one wonders if he might have been trying to help Vardy break his drought of goals. ( NO..of course not. Who would ever think that ?) Maybe only Jonathan Moss .. another one who might go on our black list of slightly-biased officials). Hopefully we get a decent ref. and some VAR luck on Saturday, and the chance of doing the double over Liverpool does sound very attractive, and what would Ralph say for the chance of a victory over Klopp at Anfield?

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KohSamuiSaints added 10:01 - May 6 WHY IS THIS SITE NOT MENTIONING ABOUT GERRARD LOPEZ TRYING TO BUY OUR FOOTBALL CLUB ??? HE HAS MADE AN OFFICIAL OFFER TO GOA ….BUT HE DOESNT LOOK LIKE HE HAS ENOUGH MONEY BEHIND HIM TO SHOP AT MARKS & SPENCERS ….AND HE MADE LILLE FC SKINT SELLING ALL THERE BEST PLAYERS ?????
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