Le Saux and Dodd doubts for Saints

Defenders Graeme Le Saux and Jason Dodd face fitness tests as Southampton bid to boost their hopes of avoiding relegation with victory over Charlton on St Stephen's Day.

Le Saux missed last weekend’s 5-1 defeat at Tottenham with a calf strain while Dodd limped out of the game with an ankle injury.

Striker James Beattie is hoping for recall to the starting line-up after making a full recovery from a calf problem while midfielder Rory Delap returns after a one-match ban.

But Matthew Oakley, Neil McCann, Marian Pahars, Alan Blayney, Jelle van Damme and Michael Svensson are still injured.

Provisional squad (from): Niemi, Dodd, Lundekvam, Jakobsson, Higginbotham, Prutton, Telfer, Delap, A.Svensson, Le Saux, Crouch, Phillips, Beattie, Nilsson, Blackstock, Ormerod, Griffit, Kenton, Smith.