Sports
- NewsSouthampton
- Tyler Dibling and Armel Bella-Kotchap are among the players expected to leave the club this summer. They are unlikely to feature on opening weekend.
- Will Still has deployed Cameron Archer off the right in pre-season with Adam Armstrong leading the line.
- Mateus Fernandes is unavailable due to illness, while Ben Brereton has a hip injury and also won't play on Saturday.
- Still hinted that teenager Moses Sesay could play if Flynn Downes is not ruled fit.
Wrexham- Oliver Rathbone and Jay Rodriguez will both miss the opening day clash with Southampton, with the latter unable to face his former club due to an ankle injury.
- Andy Cannon is a long-term absentee and will play no part in the early stages of the season, but Jack Marriott is fit and available.
- Summer signings Conor Coady, Lewis O'Brien and Josh Windass could all be involved on Saturday.
- Prediction
Southampton are looking to bounce right back into the top flight after a dismal 2024/25 season that saw them pick up just two Premier League victories and 12 points. In Will Still, Saints have acquired a highly-rated young manager, and their squad should translate well into a Championship promotion fight.
Wrexham arrive in the second tier after a run of three consecutive promotions under Phil Parkinson, who is the longest-serving manager in the division this season. Question marks have been raised about the Red Dragons' style of play, but their ambitious recruitment means that the new boys head into the campaign with no shortage of proven Championship quality.