This is the Southampton side that should start against Stoke on Saturday

Bragg keeps the shirt Jander wanted back

Tonda Eckert spent the build-up to Watford talking about Jander as a late call. Now the club say he is still not fit to start, with good progress reported and nothing more. He has not kicked a competitive ball since pulling up in the friendly at Eastleigh.

Which hands Cameron Bragg another week in the starting eleven.

Nobody should treat that as a consolation prize. Southampton managed one goal at Vicarage Road and Bragg is the reason they managed that, so Eckert is not picking him purely out of necessity.

Ask yourself what actually changes if Jander is passed fit next week. On last Sunday's evidence, not a great deal.

Downes is the constant in midfield. Eckert trusts him to sit and marshall the centre of the pitch, which shouldn't be difficult against a Stoke side who spent the summer rebuilding their engine room around Ethan Galbraith and Svante Ingelsson.

Robins has spent plenty and his midfield is still learning to anticipate each other's play. Press them properly and something should give.

Azaz changes everything in attack

Finn Azaz is fit and Southampton looked short of ideas without him. Lewis Dobbin lasted 57 minutes at Vicarage Road, had one shot, put it nowhere near the goal and beat his man once in six attempts. The player ratings were not kind about it.

Dobbin will get his season back at some point. It should not be tomorrow.

Bring Azaz into the ten, push Leo Scienza back to the left where he is comfortable, and give Kuryu Matsuki the right side, and suddenly there are three players in that front line who want the ball between the lines rather than running into corners with it.

Saints Marching argued this week that two starters played themselves out of this XI at Vicarage Road. Tom Fellows has a strong claim on that right flank as well. Either way, Eckert has options he refused to use last Sunday.

Up top, Larin. Divin Mubama scored five in the Championship on loan at Stoke last season and will fancy this one enormously, though Larin scored at Watford and you do not drop a man a week after he has found the net.

So the eleven. Peretz in goal, Bree and Manning at full back, Harwood-Bellis and Stephens together again in the middle, Downes and Bragg in front of them, Matsuki right, Scienza left, Azaz behind Larin.

Stoke arrive at St Mary's still being assembled. Robins spent the week after the Swansea defeat telling BBC Radio Stoke his forwards needed competition, then went out and spent around £10m on George Hirst, who his new club are still trying to register in time for this one.

Southampton should be picking a side to punish that, not a side to survive it.

Get the front four right and the rest looks after itself.