Forster returns for Southampton as Tella set to take up forward role

Fraser Forster (£4.0m) is back between the sticks for Southampton as the Saints take on Brighton in Sunday afternoon’s south-coast derby.

Having replaced Alex McCarthy (£4.5m) in Gameweek 26, Forster was rotated out of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s XI for the club’s second fixture of Double Gameweek 27.

That was a 5-2 defeat at Manchester City, after which Hasenhuttl said:

The other one (McCarthy) deserved to play. He did a good job. Fraser is in a good mode and showed he has a good battle with Alex. Fraser has a little better momentum in his game and that is what we need.

Forster duly comes back in for the Saints, with his manager stating ahead of kick off:

“Fraser deserves to play, he’s showed some good performances and he’s learned a lot.”

The towering stopper lines up behind a familiar-looking back four containing Kyle Walker-Peters (£4.7m).

The right-back made his injury return in Southampton’s first DGW27 fixture but Hasenhuttl took no risk by benching Walker-Peters and fellow GW28 starter Ibrahima Diallo (£4.5m) in midweek.

Moussa Djenepo (£5.4m) is on the bench after being forced off at half time against Man City. Nathan Tella (£4.3m) took Djenepo’s place in that clash and the budget midfielder starts against the Seagulls.

Tella could partner Che Adams (£5.8m) in Hasenhuttl’s front two, though another player rested in midweek – Takumi Minamino (£6.0m) – is also a candidate for that role.

For Brighton, the formation is less clear as Danny Welbeck (£5.5m) makes his first start since Gameweek 15.

Welbeck could be partnered up front by Neal Maupay (£6.1m) if Graham Potters opts to match Southampton’s four-man backline.

But the shapeshifting Potter might also be lining his troops up in a slightly more familiar wing-back system.

With Brighton being one of the eight teams that compete in Blank Gameweek 29, players such as Lewis Dunk (£4.9m), Joel Veltman (£4.3m) and Dan Burn (£4.2m) could be on the FPL radar.

The Seagulls take on Newcastle at home next weekend, while Southampton are not back in action until Gameweek 30.

Southampton XI (4-2-2-2): Forster; Bertrand, Vestergaard, Bednarek, Walker-Peters; Ward-Prowse, Diallo; Minamino, Armstrong; Tella, Adams.

Brighton XI (3-4-2-1): Sanchez; Burn, Dunk, White; Gross, Bissouma, Lallana, Veltman; Trossard, Maupay; Welbeck.