Southampton face injury concerns ahead of West Ham clash

Southampton may be without Flynn Downes and Cyle Larin for their key Championship fixture away to West Ham this weekend.

Southampton face significant injury doubts over two key players ahead of Saturday's Championship trip to West Ham. Midfielder Flynn Downes and top scorer Cyle Larin are both racing to be fit for the match at the London Stadium. The Saints, currently seventh in the Championship with 17 points from 11 games, are six points behind leaders Swansea.

Downes, a former West Ham player, damaged an ankle ligament in the win at Norwich and missed last weekend's goalless draw with Bolton. That result, a 0-0 stalemate on Saturday 17 October, extended their recent form to three wins, one draw, and one loss from the last five matches, a sequence that began with a 4-1 win over Bristol City and includes a 3-1 victory over Swansea and a 1-0 win at Norwich where Kuryu Matsuki scored the only goal.

Squad challenges

Losing both players would be a major blow for the Saints, who sit seventh in the table with 17 points from 11 games. Their recent form has been solid, with three wins, a draw, and one loss in their last five outings. The potential absences come at a difficult time, with Southampton facing a West Ham side that is second in the league and buoyed by consecutive wins, including a 1-0 victory over leaders Swansea. Southampton's next fixture after West Ham is a home match against Bristol City on Saturday, October 31st.

A positive result would keep them in the playoff places, currently just six points off the top. The team's overall record this season shows six wins, three draws, and two losses, having scored 21 goals and conceded only 10.

The Hammers have already beaten Southampton this season, winning 4-1 in the EFL Cup in August. West Ham manager Nuno Espírito Santo indicated he is unlikely to make many changes from the side that beat Swansea. Southampton's full squad list shows right-back Mads Roerslev remains out with a knee injury. The Saints will hope top scorer C. Larin, who has seven goals in 11 appearances this season, can recover in time for the key away fixture on Saturday 24 October.

The match kicks off at 3pm on Saturday.