After 20 days without a fixture, Southampton finally return to action as they welcome Middlesbrough to St Mary’s on Friday.
After an indifferent February, Southampton have won their last two fixtures against Birmingham City and Sunderland but have not looked hugely convincing in either affair.
Russell Martin will be delighted to be able to call upon Kyle Walker-Peters and Ryan Fraser as the pair return from injury and the Southampton manager has also confirmed David Brooks and Jan Bednarek are both available following concerns regarding their fitness over the international break.
Middlesbrough beat Southampton 2-1 early on in the season during the Saints’ four game losing streak in September, with a goal from Adam Armstrong cancelled out by Riley McGree before Jonny Howson converted a penalty to seal the points.
Despite that game coming in the seventh Championship game of the season, it was shockingly Middlesbrough’s first league win of the campaign. They have been much improved since then, though, and now find themselves in tenth and with a chance of making the play-offs with seven points to make up on sixth-place Norwich City.
Martin will be out for revenge against another young manager who has a growing reputation in ex-Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick, with every game now crucial in Southampton’s bid for an automatic promotion spot.
History favours Southampton in Middlesbrough clash
Southampton go into this clash fourth in the Championship, albeit with a game in hand over third-place Leicester City and two over Ipswich Town and Leeds United in the top two.
Crucially, Martin still has to take his side away to all three teams above Southampton in the final ten games of the season; the first of these encounters coming on Easter Monday as the Saints travel to Ipswich for the evening kick-off.
Whilst these games have the potential to be season-defining, they first have to beat a Middlesbrough side that will arrive on the south coast confident that they can get a result having won three of their last four games and drawn the other.
Carrick’s side will be stubborn defensively, having conceded just once in those four games, but Southampton have history on their side with a remarkable statistic.
It has been a long time since Middlesbrough have taken all three points from a trip to Southampton, with the last time the club from the north east won at St Mary’s being September 2003. ‘Boro won that top flight encounter 1-0 thanks to an early goal from Malcom Christie.
Perhaps surprisingly, Southampton have only played Middlesbrough at home on three occasions since that day, with the two sides finding themselves in different divisions for the majority of that period, but it is a record Martin will have every intention of extending on Friday.
The last time the two sides met in Southampton a Sofiane Boufal stunner was the difference in a 1-0 home win in December 2016.
James Beattie led the line last time Middlesborough won at St Marys
Gordon Strachan was the man in charge of Southampton in that early 2000s loss, with the defeat in late September actually the first the Saints had suffered that season.
A Middlesbrough side consisting of the likes of Mark Schwarzer, Danny Mills, George Boateng and Boudewijn Zenden ultimately proved too much for Southampton, even with the potent strike force of James Beattie and Kevin Phillips.
Southampton had Welshman Paul Jones in goal, with a back four of Jason Dodd, Claus Lundekvam, Michael Svensson, and Graeme Le Saux ahead of him. The midfield was made up of Fabrice Fernandes, Matt Oakley, Paul Telfer and Chris Marsden, but the quintet were unable to provide any clear-cut chances for Beattie and Phillips ahead of them.
The match was also notable for Phillips receiving the only red card of his career, with frustration getting the better of the forward as he kicked out at ‘Boro defender Franck Quedrue in the 90th minute.
Martin will be hoping that the current Southampton side manage to break down a similarly solid Middlesbrough backline on Friday and secure all three points before looking ahead to Monday’s mammoth clash at Portman Road.