Southampton v Blackpool preview

Posted Saturday, January 08, 2011 by skysports.com

Saints entertain Seasiders at St Mary's Stadium

Southampton will fancy their chances of upsetting Blackpool in the FA Cup as Ian Holloway prepares to ring the changes at St Mary's.

The Saints are currently second in League One and are full of confidence while the Seasiders' main priority remains Premier League survival.

The teams last met in March 2009 with Southampton claiming a 1-1 draw from their trip to Bloomfield Road in a Championship clash.

Southampton news

Saints boss Nigel Adkins has almost a full-strength squad at his disposal with winger Lee Holmes the only absentee following his recent ankle surgery.

Adkins is expected to make changes with one eye on Saints' League One promotion push.

Striker Lee Barnard has made two substitute appearances since recovering from a hernia operation and he could be named in the starting line-up for the first time since mid-November.

Frazer Richardson, Morgan Schneiderlin and David Connolly will also be in contention along with Jason Puncheon, who is back at St Mary's following his loan spell at Millwall.

Blackpool news

Holloway plans to make wholesale changes for their trip down south, stating most of his first-choice team will not even make the journey.

A number of fringe players and youth-team members are set to be given a chance.

Goalkeeper Paul Rachubka is likely to make his first start for a year while there could also be opportunities for the likes of Keith Southern, Dekel Keinan, Rob Edwards and Alex Baptiste. Brett Ormerod and Jason Euell could face their former club.

David Carney is at the Asian Cup with Australia while Elliot Grandin could be doubtful with a hamstring injury.