Southampton v Ipswich Town

Team news

Southampton defender Jack Stephens serves the second game of a three-match ban following his red card against Manchester United, while Will Smallbone and Kamaldeen Sulemana remain out.

Manager Russell Martin will recall a host of key players after making 10 changes for the midweek EFL Cup fixture against Everton.

Ipswich forward Nathan Broadhead has recovered from a hamstring injury and is available for the first time this season.

Defender Harry Clarke is nearing a return from an Achilles problem but this game comes too soon for him.

Match facts

Head-to-head

• Ipswich have won five Premier League matches against Southampton, more than against any other opponent.

• The Blues won both of last season’s Championship fixtures and are vying to record consecutive away league victories against Saints for the first time since 1980.

• Town have scored six goals in their previous two top-flight games away to Southampton, a 3-0 win at The Dell in April 2001 and 3-3 draw at St Mary’s later that year, with Marcus Stewart scoring five of those six goals.

• This is the latest two newly promoted teams have met in a Premier League season with both still winless since Fulham beat West Brom in the seventh round of fixtures in 2020-21.

Southampton

• Saints are one of two sides yet to lead in the Premier League this season, along with Crystal Palace, while they have trailed for a league-high 208 minutes (including injury time).

• Southampton have lost their opening four league games for the first time since 2012.

• They are in danger of being defeated in their opening five league matches for just the second time. When it happened in 1998-99 they eventually recovered to retain their top-flight status.

• Russell Martin’s side have attempted 2,406 passes in the Premier League this term, second only to Manchester City.

• According to Opta’s classification, they have made six errors leading to shots, including four leading to goals – both figures are league-highs this term.

• Ben Brereton Diaz is winless in all 18 of his Premier League appearances (D4, L14) for his current side and Sheffield United, a record for most matches played without a single victory in the competition.

Ipswich Town

• The Suffolk side are vying to record clean sheets in back-to-back Premier League away games for the first time since March and April 2001, with the second match in that sequence a 3-0 victory at Southampton.

• The Tractor Boys are in danger of failing to win any of their opening five top-flight fixtures for the first time since 1984-85.

• Town are winless in their past nine Premier League away games (D2, L7), with their last such victory coming at Everton in February 2002, when Sixto Peralta and Matt Holland netted for George Burley’s side.

• They have registered a league-low nine shots in the first half of Premier League matches this season.

• Captain Sam Morsy has been booked in three of his four Premier League appearances. Only four players have accumulated at least four yellow cards in their opening five matches in the competition – Edgar Davids, Fabian Schar and Nicolas Jackson (all four cautions) and James Perch (five).