Danny Fox (thigh) and Steven Davis (illness) are available after missing out last weekend, while January signing Vegard Forren is edging closer to his Saints debut.
Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina has returned to training after a thigh strain and is set for a recall.
Midfielder Joe Allen will again feature despite being told he is facing shoulder surgery in the near future.
As events at Reading this week proved, the battle to stay in the Premier League is getting desperate for the teams involved.
Many compared Brian McDermott's departure with Southampton's decision to bring in Mauricio Pochettino at the expense of Nigel Adkins back in January.
The new Saints boss has a mixed record so far: one win, three draws and three defeats - although that victory was over champions Manchester City last month.
Southampton come into this match four points above third-from-bottom Wigan, while Liverpool, having beaten Tottenham 3-2 last weekend, have now scored 21 goals in their last seven Premier League fixtures.
"Liverpool are flying and there is no pressure on them whatsoever - their manager Brendan Rodgers is not saying that they are going to make the top four or anything like that, just things like his players are playing well and enjoying their football and seeing where it can take them."
As Steven Gerrard said this week, qualification for Europe has to be the target for Liverpool, and they will travel to Hampshire hopeful of repeating their victory over the Saints back in December.It's about this time of year when you start to look at the remaining fixtures and try and guess how many points a team is likely to get. Liverpool will hope they get enough for at least a top-five finish; Southampton for 17th or above.
The Southampton manager will know all about Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian spent time on loan from Inter Milan playing under Pochettino at Espanyol last season and scored five goals for the Spanish club. The new Saints boss was reportedly keen to bring Coutinho to St Mary's in January.
No preview of a Liverpool fixture can leave out Luis Suarez: 16 goals in his last 16 appearances and a hat-trick in the Reds' last away match at Wigan means the Uruguayan will be eagerly anticipating this trip to another side battling to stay in the division.
Head-to-head
Liverpool won the reverse fixture 1-0 at Anfield in December courtesy of Daniel Agger's first-half header. Jonjo Shelvey and Luis Suarez also hit the woodwork. Southampton have won three of the four previous league meetings against Liverpool played at St Mary's, including the most recent encounter in January 2005. Liverpool's only win at St Mary's Stadium came in January 2002, with Emile Heskey scoring the game's only goal. All the goals in the last three Premier League encounters have been scored in the first half.Southampton
Southampton have won only one of their last eight league games, seven of them under new manager Mauricio Pochettino. Saints would be 17th in the table if the league had started on 21 January, the date of Pochettino's first game in charge. Only Wigan have accrued fewer points (five) against top-half sides than Southampton's nine. Their only win came against Manchester City five weeks ago. Saints have conceded 17 league goals in the 15 minutes immediately before half time - five more than any other club. They have also let in a league-high 28 first-half goals.Liverpool
The Reds are unbeaten in their last three away matches. Liverpool are the eighth most clinical team in the Premier League this season (14%), up from last place in 2011-12 (9%). Brendan Rodgers's side have scored 12 goals in their last three league matches, and 21 over their last seven league fixtures. Luis Suarez has won four more penalties (nine in total) than any other Premier League player since he arrived in England. Suarez has had 141 attempts on goal in the Premier League this season, 27 more than any other player; 54 have been on target, 55 off target, 32 blocked.
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