Saints take on Crystal Palace in what is our last weekend home game of the season looking to get the three points which will push them up the Premier League with hopes of a top 10 finish.

Ralph Hasenhuttl has confirmed that aside from Tino Livramento who looks likely to be out for the next 8-9 months, he has a full squad to pick from as his team go head to head with Crystal Palace who start the game 1 place and 2 points behind us with a game in hand.

So this game will go a long way into deciding where either club finish in the League.

In the past 5 games both sides have a virtually identical record, they have won just once, lost twice and drawn twice and both will be looking to finish their season with a flourish.

Ironically given that both has such close records, the season for both clubs has differing viewpoints from their respective fan bases, Palace fans feel that Patrick Veira has done a great job in charge of the Eagles, whereas some Saints supporters feel that our season has been awful.

Yet Saints still sit above Palace going into this game.

So there is a lot to play for not just on Saturday afternoon at St Mary's but the following weekend when we travel to Brentford, win them both and we should be in line for at least a top 12 finish, lose them both and we are likely to finish as low as 15th or even 16th.

So it is important that Ralph not only gets his team selection right, but also has his side fired up to win this game.

Tino Livramento will be a loss to the team, but we can cover it by moving Kyle Walker Peters to right back and bringing in Romain Perraud on the left.

The centre of defence is a worry, Mohammed Salisu is going through a shaky period and it will be interesting whether he stays in the team or Ralph tries a different option, Lyanco is a physical player and the Eagles are an imposing team, so it would not surprise me if this change happened.

In midfield JWP & Romeu are cemented in the centre of the park, but the wide positions are up for grabs, both Nathan's, Redmond & Tella had good games at Brighton and would be favourites to start the game against the Eagles in my book.

Tella had a decent game at the Amex last week and was a candidate for man of the match in the game at Selhurst Park earlier in the season, Redmond gats plenty of stick from some sections of the fan base, but the reality is that he delivers in terms of chances he creates for others.

Up front there is a decision to be made, Che Adams deserved his place and in many respect so does Shane Long, but the latter is more suited these days as an impact player off the bench.

Armando Broja has gone right off the boil of late and started on the bench at Brighton, I would think he would be considered for the starting role on Saturday, but personally I would prefer to see Adam Armstrong given a rare start.

Although the priority now is to win games, we also have to look to next season and if Broja is not to be here then, lets try a player that will be in Adam Armstrong, despite his lack of goals, when he has played he has contributed to the team, two years ago Che Adams exploded into life, now we need Armstrong to replicate that.

There are four games to go, we need to get points on the board and make this a decent end to the season and indeed a decent season overall.

Photo: Action Images

andoverpedro added 10:52 - Apr 29 Agreee with this team give tella and redmond a go along with Che and Adam Armstrong up front . Stuart Armstrong drifts in and out of games and Elynoussi has been poor recently doesnt track back .
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halftimeorange added 13:20 - Apr 29 I, too, would like to see Adam Armstrong and Che Adams start. As for who plays in front of KWP they have to be ready to cover for him when he's marooned up the other end after one of his marauding runs should it fizzle out. My instinct tells me that Tella might get stuck in more than Redmond and irritate Zaha but, others might disagree. We'll also need to shut out Gallagher - a nice man to man job for Romeu!

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