Both sides will seek to extend their run in the FA Cup, with Wembley set in-sight. Southampton have suffered five consecutive defeats in the Premier League, consequently slipping down to 12th place in the table. This could give more of a reason for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side to focus on winning silverware this season. 

Wolverhampton Wanderers have experienced an upward spiral of late, managing to gain four points in their past two matches, taking three points against Arsenal and earning a well-thought point in a tight affair with Leicester City

This clash will be the fifth FA Cup meeting between the sides, with each side winning twice in the previous four. Southampton won the last meeting 2-0 in March 2003, en route to reaching the final that season. 

Team News

Wolves winger Daniel Podence is set to miss out alongside defender Willy Boly. However, Rayan Ait-Nouri could return from injury. 

Southampton will be boosted with the return of full-back Kyle Walker-Peters after three weeks on the sidelines. 

Mohammed Salisu is set to make his first start in the red and white stripes.

January acquisition, Takumi Minamino is ineligible to play under the terms of his move. 

Stuart Armstrong remains a doubt ahead of the game with a muscle problem. 

Previous encounters

The last time the sides faced off in the FA Cup, Southampton came out on top with a 2-0 victory in 2003. 

In more recent years, both sides shared the spoils in a tightly contested 1-1 draw at the Molineux this season in November. Theo Walcott tapped home his first goal for the club to put the visitors in front but Wolves had a response of their own through Pedro Neto

Ones to watch

Wolves- Pedro Neto

Pedro Neto has been Nuno Espírito Santo’s main man this season, netting four times and providing four assists. Neto brings an injection of pace to the front-line with the Portuguese international having an ever-present impact this campaign. Neto has developed his all-round play, filling the shoes of Diogo Jota. On his day, his industrious nature can cause real problems for any back-line. 

Southampton- Kyle Walker-Peters

Southampton will welcome the return of Walker-Peters who has been an influential factor to their early-season success. The English full-back has been a real joy to watch this season, with every aspect of his game blossoming under manager Hasenhuttl. Walker-Peters is often seen gliding past opponents with ease, adding a real dynamic to Southampton’s attacking strategies. Walker-Peters has currently the highest dribble success rate outside the top six. His defensive capabilities may have been questioned last season, yet the full-back has surpassed all expectations, managing an exceptional 50 tackles thus far this campaign. 

What the managers have to say

Nuno understands the importance of this game and has illiterate not to take Southampton lightly despite their recent run of form.

"All the teams during this season have tough, tough moments, but that doesn't take away the quality and the talent of the squad of Southampton." 

"It is a very talented squad, a very good manager. We know in football anything can change from one game to the other."

Hasenhuttl has emphasised his desire to have a good cup run this season.

"The FA Cup is a competition we're still part of and we want to go as far as possible. It's a very important game.”

Where to watch the match 

The match will kick off at 17:30 on Thursday and will be broadcast live on BT Sport 1 in the UK and Ireland. As always you can catch all the build-up, live coverage and reaction here on VAVEL.



 

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