Vestergaard absent for Southampton as Konsa returns on Villa bench

Jannik Vestergaard (£5.0m) misses out for Southampton’s trip to Fulham today after Ralph Hasenhüttl reported a knee problem.

In his pre-match press conference, the Saints boss revealed there was fluid on the joint and that the issue would need further investigation before confirmation could be made about his fitness.

With the glut of fixtures between now and the end of the calendar year, Hasenhüttl is taking no chances, going without Vestergaard for the first time since the Gameweek 2 home drubbing by Spurs.

Jack Stephens (£4.6m) comes in for the Danish defender, sitting alongside Jan Bednarek (£4.7m) in Southampton’s back-four.

With Danny Ings (£8.3m) still on the sidelines, Shane Long (£5.1m) comes into the side to pair with Che Adams (£6.1m) up-front.

That is because an injury to Nathan Redmond (£6.4m) has forced Theo Walcott (£5.8m) to continue operating on the flanks of midfield with Stuart Armstrong (£5.5m).

Southampton visit a Fulham side going with the so-called makeshift attack that spurred them on to win at Leicester and draw with Liverpool.

Ivan Cavaleiro (£5.3m) is back up-front as an out-of-position Fantasy Premier League midfielder, supported by an attacking midfield trio of Ademola Lookman (£5.0m), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (£5.9m) and Bobby De Cordova-Reid (£5.3m).

Aston Villa welcome Ezri Konsa (£4.8m) back against Crystal Palace today although the centre-back is fit enough only for the bench following an illness.

Tyrone Mings (£5.4m) and Kortney Hause (£4.4m) occupy the heart of Villa’s defence for the third consecutive Premier League match, flanked by Matt Targett (£4.6m) and Matt Cash (£5.0m).

Jack Grealish (£7.8m) appears to be in a central attacking midfield position for the visit of Palace, Bertrand Traoré (£5.9m) and penalty taker Anwar El Ghazi (£5.7m) either side of him and Ollie Watkins (£6.1m) up-front.

The Eagles shape up in a 4-4-2 formation with Wilfried Zaha (£7.5m) out of position as a striker once again.

Aston Villa XI: Martínez; Targett, Mings, Hause, Cash; Luiz, McGinn; El Ghazi, Grealish, B Traoré; Watkins.

Crystal Palace XI: Guaita; van Aanholt, Dann, Kouyaté, J Ward; Eze, McArthur, Milivojevic, Schlupp; Zaha, Benteke.

Fulham XI: Areola; A Robinson, Adarabioyo, Andersen, Aina; Anguissa, Reed; Lookman, Loftus-Cheek, De Cordova-Reid; Cavaleiro.

Southampton XI: A McCarthy; Bertrand, Bednarek, J Stephens, Walker-Peters; Armstrong, Ward-Prowse, Diallo, Walcott; Adams, S Long.