Southampton are set to be without two injured players for their Premier League game with Manchester City.
Highly-rated defender Tino Livarmento (knee) is set to return to training sooner than expected. However, both he and Will Smallbone (calf) are not fit enough to face Pep Guardiola and his star-studded group.
City are 11 points clear at the Premier League summit as they prepare for a trip to St Mary's Stadium (5.30pm).
Nearest challengers Liverpool do have a game in hand on the table-toppers - but Guardiola and his men have won 12 straight matches and appear in formidable form.
As for Southampton, meanwhile, they have taken seven points from a possible 12 in their last four outings.
Ralph Hasenhuttl and his team were comfortably beaten last time out against Wolves, though, as Raul Jimenez, Conor Coady and Tottenham-linked Adama Traore did the damage. James Ward-Prowse netted a trademark free-kick for the Saints as it finished 3-1 to Bruno Lage's men.
Providing an injury update during his pre-match press conference, Hasenhuttl said: "I don't want to put pressure on Tino, but I am hoping that after the break we can see him back on the pitch with the players.
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"Hopefully, without a reaction from the knee, this is our time schedule, but we will have a look.
"It will still take a little bit [of time] then until he is match fit, but I do not think it will take too long now until he can come back. The same with Will. We know that it was a serious muscle injury but, in the end, it will be the same."
Southampton predicted line-up (3-5-2): Forster; Bednarek, Lyanco, Salisu; Tella, Ward-Prowse, Romeu, Diallo, Perraud; Redmond, Broja.
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