PREM: Southampton v Burnley preview

Southampton v Burnley preview

Mark Hughes could hand Danny Ings his Southampton debut against former club Burnley after the striker joined on Deadline Day.

The Saints managed to secure the services of Ings on a season-long loan on Thursday and the 26-year-old is desperate to get his career back on track after an injury-plagued couple of seasons on Merseyside.

Southampton struggled for goals last term with Ings set to compete with Charlie Austin for a starting berth, while Hughes is in favour of the window being closed before a Premier League ball is kicked.

 

"Now the window is shut you know exactly what you have got - there might be players going out on loan if clubs allow it or European clubs coming in," he said.

"Our stance and is that we will decide who goes out, there won't be anyone coming in with bids.

"From a management point of view, knowing that you have a group to work with on the first day of the season is a good thing.

 

"Players always place too much significance on who plays in the first game of the season - if they are not in that first XI, they think 'I need to move' and they get agitated, so you get two or three weeks of nonsense really."

Burnley head to the south coast after holding Istanbul Basaksehir to a 0-0 draw in Turkey in the Europa League third qualifying round.

The Clarets signed Joe Hart, Ben Gibson and Matej Vydra during the summer transfer window, but manager Sean Dyche admits he is pleased to see the back of it.

 

"It's been the worst I've experienced, the hardest, the worst," he said. "Even some of the big, big clubs haven't got the player they wanted, very difficult.

"And even more for us - we're spending pretty decent money now, if you're looking at £10m and £15m, that's decent money, and yet you can't scratch the surface.

"We have a model, everyone knows that, and I'm not crying it in, I would spend everything if we had it, but it's very difficult, even when you have money."

 

Hughes has confirmed that Ings is available for the visit of Burnley and that his fitness will be assessed in training.

Angus Gunn, Jannik Vestergaard, Mohamed Elyounoussi and Stuart Armstrong could all feature following summer moves.

Hughes confirmed that Southampton have a fully fit squad after Cedric Soares reported back to training on Monday following illness.

 

Dyche will have a decision to make in Burnley's goal. Hart made his debut and kept a clean sheet in Thursday's Europa League draw in Istanbul but Tom Heaton has now recovered from a calf injury.

Last season's No 1 Nick Pope is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after an operation on his dislocated shoulder.

Striker Chris Wood could return after missing out on Thursday with an infection while defender Ben Gibson will hope to make his debut after moving from Middlesbrough. Fellow signing Matej Vydra may have to bide his time while Robbie Brady and Steven Defour are out.