Southampton kick off their Premier League campaign with a trip to Burnley this Saturday afternoon.
There appears to be a sense of quiet optimism among Saints fans that this season can be more comfortable than the previous two relegation scraps.
We will finally be able to get an indication of where Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side are in their progression with their first piece of competitive action since drawing with Huddersfield Town on the final day of last season.
Che Adams and Moussa Djenepo could make their competitive debuts for the club this weekend, but new arrival Kevin Danso will not be available for the trip to Turf Moor after joining officially on Friday morning.
It will be interesting to see whether Hasenhuttl opts for his previously favoured 4-2-2-2 formation, which proved successful at RB Leipzig, or the 5-2-3 system that has been tested in the most recent pre-season friendlies.
For the first time this season, here’s how we predict Southampton to line up.
