Southampton face West Brom on Friday night in the second leg of their Championship play-off semi-final.
The winners know it will be Leeds United they will face in the final at Wembley on Sunday 26th May, after Daniel Farke’s side beat Norwich City 4-0 on Thursday.
Southampton will be hoping for a similar outcome as Leeds who after also drawing their away leg 0-0 got the job done at home.
It is sure to be some atmosphere at St Mary’s, with the Southampton faithful hopeful they can help push their side to a spot in the final.
Whilst manager Russell Martin has some big decisions to make on his starting line-up – mainly around which formation to play and whether to start Che Adams – he has been speaking ahead of the game about the role his substitutes will have to play.
Russell Martin on the importance of substitutes against West Brom
Whist there will be 11 players delighted to be starting such a momentous occasion for Southampton, those that don’t start will be hugely disappointed to miss out.
The Saints have benefitted from having one of the bigger squads in the Championship this season, so this is something Martin has had to contend with throughout.
However, the former Swansea City boss has managed this extremely well throughout the campaign, ensuring he gets the most out of his substitutions.
In fact, only promoted Ipswich Town boast more goals from substitutes in the Championship this season, with Kieran McKenna’s side scoring 23 to Southampton’s 20 according to Playmaker Stats.
Martin will need his whole squad against West Brom and he was quick to point out the importance of having players on the bench ready to come on and give their all for the cause.
Martin told the media: “There’s no pacing yourself in any game of football I don’t think…”
“…If that means we have to take five players off and bring five players on to finish the game because they are dead on their feet because they can’t run anymore, it’s the best way.
“So run and run as aggressively and as hard as you can. Attack the game with discipline and structure in our way but attack the game until you can’t anymore.
“Then your mate will come on and help finish the game off. That’s the only message in a game like this really.”
Three Southampton subs that could make a telling impact v West Brom
If Adams is fit to return to the side then Southampton could return to the 4-3-3 formation that they have played for the bulk of the season.
The striker missed the first leg with a muscle problem sustained against Leeds on the final day but is expected to be fit for Friday night.
He may not be able to play the full 90 minutes though, and this is where Ross Stewart could prove vital.
Stewart has been out for almost the entirety of the season having seen his return from the achilles issue he signed with in the summer followed by a hamstring injury which meant he had only played 17 minutes until the final day win over Leeds.
The 27-year-old has been building up his fitness and managed half an hour on Sunday as he looked sharp despite Southampton doing a lot of defending late on.
With ten goals in 13 Championship games for Sunderland prior to making the move to St Mary’s, Stewart could have a huge part to play of Southampton are chasing a goal.
David Brooks may start as a result of the change of shape, meaning Ryan Fraser is another player likely to be on the Southampton bench who has already proven he can have a real impact when entering the game late.
The on-loan winger has scored four times in the league for the Saints this season after coming on as a substitute; including vital late winners in second-half stoppage time against Millwall and Hull City.
The 30-year-old’s experience could also be really useful to a young side and the Scot is anticipated to have a role to play regardless of whether Southampton are chasing the game or trying to see out a win.
The third and final player who could make a telling contribution is Joe Rothwell.
Another loanee, Rothwell has struggled to make the expected impact since joining from Bournemouth in January and has started just four Championship games.
On each of the occasions he has started he has struggled, however he has shown he can make a real difference off the bench with two braces.
The first of these came in a dramatic 5-3 win over Huddersfield Town and the second against Sunderland.
His spell at Southampton has been disappointing and he is unlikely to be signed permanently, however he has an eye for goal off the bench and this make him a useful asset to Martin.