Southampton FC latest: Sunderland fixture update, Leicester FFP issues interest Saints, Kyle Walker-Peters | OneFootball

Southampton are back in action on Saturday when they take on Sunderland at St. Mary’s Stadium as they look to close the gap on the top two.

Southampton’s promotion push

The midweek postponement of the game against Preston due to a fire near to the ground left the Saints eight points adrift of second-placed Ipswich Town going into the weekend games.

That was obviously a setback for the side, particularly as they had been on a high after the dramatic 4-3 win against Birmingham City last weekend.

With their game against Leicester City next week postponed due to the Foxes’ involvement in the FA Cup, Southampton are going to be playing catch-up during the run-in.

So, it feels crucial that they pick up three points against the Black Cats, and here we round up the news involving Southampton ahead of the game…

Sunderland fixtures goes ahead

Firstly, it has been confirmed that the game against Sunderland will be played, even though firefighters are still working at the industrial unit that caught fire three days ago.

The Preston fixture could not be played as it wouldn’t have been safe for supporters to access the ground, due to how close it was to the incident.

However, the road closures that had been in place are no longer there, which means it should be a relatively normal matchday for all fans who make the trip, although the ‘Family Zone’ and south car park will be shut.

Southampton take note of Leicester’s FFP issues

A major off-field talking point in the past few days has centred on Southampton’s promotion rivals Leicester City.

They announced losses of in excess of £90m for the 21/22 season, but they managed to use a loophole to avoid any punishment right now. However, there is an expectation that they will be hit with a points deduction next season.

Obviously, if the points deduction could have been applied now it would have had a massive bearing on the promotion race, and Saints would be one of the beneficiaries if the Foxes were to be hit.

Therefore, it’s perhaps no surprise to see TalkSPORT claim that the south coast side are monitoring Leicester’s situation closely, as they consider the possibility of legal action.

But, you would expect this to rumble on over the coming weeks and months, with Leicester likely to be charged in the next week.

Kyle Walker-Peters injury latest

Back to football, there was a blow for Southampton as Martin stated ahead of the game against Sunderland that he would have to do without Kyle Walker-Peters.

The reliable right-back missed the win at Blues, and he will also be watching on this weekend, although the boss told the Southampton Daily Echo that it isn’t a serious problem.

“Not for tomorrow. We have an extended break after this one and he will be back for the next one. We may have gotten away with it but there was no point in risking him for this one. We want him back for the rest of the run-in. So he will be out for tomorrow.

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