Ill Martial misses out as Fernandes aims to continue unblemished away record - Best FPL Tips, Advice, Team News, Picks, and Statistics from Fantasy Football Scout

Anthony Martial (£8.7m) is absent from the Manchester United squad this afternoon as the Red Devils prepare to face in-form Southampton.

Kick-off at St Mary’s is at 14:00 GMT.

Speaking ahead of kick-off, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said of Martial’s absence:

Anthony fell ill overnight so he’s in the hotel by himself, poor lad. So that’s the reason Ant isn’t playing.

A number of ‘flagged’ United assets do make Solskjaer’s starting XI, however, namely Marcus Rashford (£9.5m), Victor Lindelof (£4.9m) and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£5.4m).

The Norwegian has made two changes from the side that squeaked past West Bromwich Albion last weekend, with Martial one of the players to make way.

Juan Mata (£5.9m) drops to the bench, with Mason Greenwood (£7.1m) and Donny van de Beek (£6.7m) promoted to Solskjaer’s line-up.

The Dutchman is making his first ever Premier League start, having had to be content with substitute roles in the first two months of the campaign.

Paul Pogba (£7.7m) and Scott McTominay (£4.9m) miss out altogether through injury, as expected.

The team news for Southampton is much more straightforward, with Ralph Hasenhuttl naming an unchanged side.

Danny Ings (£8.3m) is not part of the Saints’ matchday squad today but his manager suggested in Friday’s pre-match press conference that he could well be available for selection against Brighton in Gameweek 11.

It’s three to one in the hosts’ favour in terms of players with double-digit FPL ownership, a reflection of how the season has been going for each side.

Alex McCarthy (£4.6m), Jannik Vestergaard (£4.7m) and Kyle Walker-Peters (£4.6m) are all in more than 10% of Fantasy squads, with Bruno Fernandes (£10.8m) the only player from the Reds who can say the same.

Southampton’s defence have kept three clean sheets in a row on the south coast and haven’t been breached at St Mary’s since the 5-2 hammering by Spurs in Gameweek 2.

Fernandes, however, hasn’t blanked in any of his 10 away appearances since moving to England at the beginning of 2020.

Southampton XI: McCarthy, Walker-Peters, Vestergaard, Bednarek, Bertrand, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Armstrong, Djenepo, Walcott, Adams.

Manchester United XI: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Telles, Fred, Matic, van de Beek, Fernandes, Rashford, Greenwood.