Eckert to make late Southampton call for West Ham Carabao Cup tie | OneFootball

Tonda Eckert will leave his Southampton selection late for tomorrow night’s Carabao Cup tie against West Ham United, pending fitness checks after their weekend boost.

According to Daily Echo, the head coach is unsure how many changes to make and will assess workloads. He cited Finn Azaz and Woody completing 90 minutes, Cyle building minutes, long outings for Tom and Kuryu, and said Flynn Downes is vital, so not all may start though minutes could be shared.

Eckert’s side beat Stoke City 3-1 at St Mary’s to break their league duck. They reached round two by defeating Colchester United 2-0 earlier this month.

Saints reached the FA Cup semi-finals last season during their play-off push.

He said the aim is to win every game, balanced against player fitness. The target is to win on Tuesday regardless of competition, with the same approach planned for Saturday.

West Ham are among the early favourites for the Championship title after relegation from the Premier League. It has been a sticky start, a draw at Burnley in their opener followed by a home loss to Charlton Athletic on Saturday.

The clubs do not meet in the league until October 24, so this tie offers Southampton an early look at the expected contenders. Eckert spoke of the pressure that comes with dropping a division and said this league is unforgiving. He is keen to gauge West Ham up close, while acknowledging they are a very good team.

Source: Daily Echo

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