Saints head up to Lancashire with injury problems stretching the squad to it's limits, not the sort of preparation you want for one of the toughest games of the season.

Claude Puel see's his squad stretched to breaking point as they head to Manchester City, however a good team is built around a good spine and the good news is that Saints spine is still intact.

With Fraser Forster in goal, a centre back pairing of Fonte and Van Dijk, a solid central three selected from Romeu, Clasie, Davis, Hojbjerg and Ward Prowse and topped by Charlie Austin up front, that is a decent spine for most teams in this division.

Then we can built around the sides and with the likes of Redmond, Tadic, Rodrigues and Boufal competing for a place it is not too shabby there either.

The issue is the two full back spots likely to be filled by Martina on the right and Sam McQueen on the left, although neither have let anyone down in the past few games, the reality is that City will counter attack with pace and this is one game we could have done with Ryan Bertrand and Cedric Soares for their positional sense, speed and experience.

So Saints can still put out a decent side but it will be the bench where we are weak and Claude Puel will be hoping that we don't pick up anymore knocks so he doesn't have to make enforced changes, because that will shorten his options for tactical ones even less.

Saints are due a result up at Manchester City, we have had four straight defeats there and it is the only Premier League ground in this season's table ( fairly newbies Bournemouth, Burnley & Middlesbrough aside) that we have failed to to get at least a point at since we returned to the top flight.

Now wold be a good chance to do so, but Saints being Saints we go there with problems.

But we still have a better chance than previous years, our game is now more about possession and keeping the ball whereas before it was a more gung ho style which had it's plus points, but left us open to counter attacks and City are perhaps better than any other side at this type of game.

Both teams have a lot to play for, a point will send City to the top of the Premier League on goal difference with three putting them two points clear, for Saints a draw or defeat would not alter their league position, however a win would leapfrog us over Manchester United although that could be temporary and also put us level on points with Everton, although to go above them would need an unlikely 3-0 scoreline.

For most teams a trip to the Etihad is a free hit game, you are expected to lose, so anything is a bonus, sadly I think that we may still come home empty handed, we are still a work in progress, but you never know, Claude Puel seems to have installed a good team spirit and work ethic in the side, the players are comfortable in the system and seem happy with the manager's ways now, so perhaps we might just spring a surprise.

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