Saints looking strong for Hull

It is one of football's clichés that a senior player returning from injury is like a 'new signing'. With both Marian Pahars and Michael Svensson looking set to make their first home starts for over 18 months, the cliché may well hold true this time. They both possess genuine Premiership quality and a goal threat that Saints have been lacking of late. The simple fact is that Saints would struggle to attract players of their calibre and Premiership experience to the Championship.

Pahars looks certain to start up front after two substitute appearances on the wing, provided he overcomes a traditional back niggle. Saints fans will be hoping he can quickly rediscover the clinical finishing that made him Saints' top scorer in 99/00 and 01/02 before a succession of injuries plagued his Saints career.

Michael Svensson will be hoping to rekindle his excellent partnership with Claus Lundekvam that made Saints defence one of the meanest in the Premiership before injury robbed Saints of their defensive talisman.

There is more good news for Saints with the return of playmaker Belmadi whose invention and ability to find the killer ball has been missed while he has been out with a thigh injury. His return looks to have cost Tejera a place in the squad, despite two much improved outings for the reserves by the Uruguayan.

Redknapp should finally be able to play both Belmadi and Kosowski on the flanks in a strong looking side, with only the injured David Prutton and the suspended Darren Powell major absentees from the squad.

Theo Walcott will be hoping to underline his committment to Saints after some embarrassing comments in The Echo from his agent suggesting that Theo would leave if Saints were not promoted. His agent has subsequently said that they were taken out of context in a strong denial on the Saints website. Theo has been in good form for the reserves with two goals in two games and he will be hoping to open his account for the first team.

Redknapp often springs a surprise or two with his line-ups, but assuming all the squad are fit, this is the side we should see against Hull.

Niemi
Hajto, Svensson, Lundekvam, Higginbotham
Belmadi, Oakley, Quashie, Kosowski
Fuller, Pahars

Saints squad in full: Niemi, Hajto, Lundekvam, Svensson, Higginbotham, Oakley, Wise, Quashie, Kosowski, Fuller, Pahars, Ormerod, Belmadi, Cranie, Delap, Jones, Walcott, Smith.