The latest crop of Saints youngsters may be asked to step up to the plate as Saints suffer a crisis with injuries and suspensions.

Ronald Koeman may have no choice but to give youth a chance when his team take on Everton on Saturday.

Koeman is definitely without 8 first team squad members and could lose another two with both Steven Davis and Graziano Pelle struggling with injury.

This will leave him woefully short of experienced players and if he manages to put out a reasonably experienced starting XI, the bench will look more like a school classroom than a Premier league dug out.

Harrison Reed looks likely to start the game and Koeman could again opt to play Matt Targett with Ryan Bertrand pushed forward, but with Ryan Seager, Dominic Gape, Jason McCarthy, Jake Flanagan and Sam McQueen joining the first team squad this week in preparation for the clash at St Mary's it shows just how desperate Saints plight is this weekend.

Hopefully it will ease for the Xmas programme with the likes of Wanyama and Schneiderlin back from suspension, but it cannot be denied that Saints have been hit badly with injuries and suspensions at just the wrong time with the only shining light being that we haven't collapsed but have been competitive in all the games.

Photo: Action Images

stmichael added 11:46 - Dec 19 This week granted we are in a bit of a mess. The other games not so much.. Sheff U will be stronger tomorrow then they were Tuesday because they rested players against us. Arsenal we were unfortunate having used our subs. But by and large we have lost due to incompetence at both ends of the field. And by players who are experienced and good enough to do better. Some of our defending is right up their with Lovren who we continually laugh at on this site..

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