Southampton’s FA Cup quarter-final victory against Arsenal was one of the season’s highlights, but their attention now is on securing a play-off spot ahead of their Wembley clash with Manchester City.

The Saints’ home match against Blackburn Rovers had to be rescheduled due to the semi-final, which was planned for Saturday, April 25th, and the two will now face off on Tuesday night.

Tonda Eckert’s side’s unbeaten run in all competitions now stands at 17 and they are five points ahead of seventh place. A win here would propel them beyond Middlesbrough into fourth place, firmly establishing themselves as a promotion contender heading into the final weeks of the season.

Meanwhile, Blackburn are on their longest unbeaten streak of the season, having not lost in their past five games, including matches against Millwall and Boro, the two teams directly behind the Saints.

With an unexpected win, they might move seven points ahead of Oxford United, who are now in the final relegation slot. However, when comparing the injury lists of the two teams, Southampton may have an advantage.

Here are the ten players who will miss the match against St Mary’s on Tuesday night.

Alex McCarthy

Tonda Eckert has had the benefit of having the majority of his team fit and firing heading into this hectic final month of the season. However, he is still without a few players, including backup goalkeeper Alex McCarthy, who has been sidelined since February with a wrist injury.

The 36-year-old has only made seven Championship appearances this season, all under Will Still, and is unlikely to feature even if he is fit, given the outstanding performance of Bayern Munich loanee Daniel Peretz.

Mads Roerlev

To complete out the injury news for the hosts, Mads Roeslev will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery for an Achilles ailment in November.

The former Brentford man made nine Championship appearances before that and has had to watch from the sidelines as the Saints transformed from a relegation-threatened side to one firmly in the top six – he cost the club £3 million in the summer transfer window after moving from the Brentford Community Stadium.

Scott Wharton

According to the latest injury news from the Blackburn camp, Scott Wharton will be sidelined for the trip to Southampton.

The 28-year-old Rovers academy graduate was substituted at halftime against West Brom on Easter Monday and will miss Saturday’s trip to Stoke City.

Wharton had just returned after a five-month absence due to an Achilles ailment, but this hamstring issue will keep him out at least until Tuesday night.

Sidnei Tavares

In the same article, Michael O’Neill revealed that midfielder Sidnei Tavares will be absent due to a training injury.

The Northern Irish manager did state that the club will assess him over the next few days to see if he’ll be available for the trip to St Mary’s, but with Coventry City visiting Ewood Park on Friday night, he could be left out as a precaution.

Ryan Hedges

Ryan Hedges, who returned to training last week after a lengthy layoff due to a leg break, could make his return on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old hasn’t been seen since New Year’s Day, so he could be someone Blackburn doesn’t want to risk, especially with their next game coming up so soon.

Andrei Gudjohnsen

On to more long-term difficulties, Andri Gudjohnsen has been missing for six games after picking up an ankle injury against Portsmouth last month, with Michael O’Neill noting at the time that it may keep him out “for the foreseeable future”.

Following a scan on the injury, it was determined that he will miss the rest of the season.

It was another frustrating setback for the Icelandic striker, who had only recently recovered from a hamstring ailment. He has seven goals in 25 league outings this season.

Lewis Miller

Lewis Miller, an Australian right-back, is also expected to miss the remainder of the season after suffering an Achilles tendon rupture against QPR in February.

The 25-year-old will also miss out on the chance to represent his country at this summer’s World Cup. He was a key member of the Socceroos’ qualifying campaign, appearing 20 times since his debut in 2023.

Sundre Tronstad

Sondre Tronstad, a tough-tackling midfielder, will also be out for the remainder of the season and possibly into next season after it was reported that he will be undergoing a full ACL repair in March.

The Norwegian’s contract at Ewood Park expires at the end of the season, raising questions over whether Blackburn fans have seen the last of him at the club.

Augustus Kargbo

Augustus Kargbo has not played for the first team since injuring his thigh against Sheffield United in October. He returned to Under-21 football in February, but experienced a setback.

Before their match against Stoke, Michael O’Neill acknowledged that he hadn’t seen the 26-year-old workout and couldn’t predict whether he’d be back before the conclusion of the season.

Hayden Carter

Finally, centre-back Hayden Carter will most certainly miss the rest of the season after suffering an injury against Millwall on March 14, which Michael O’Neill indicated would keep him out for “four to six weeks”.

It would be a heartbreaking finish to the 26-year-old’s injury-plagued season, in which he has made only 10 Championship matches due to hamstring and calf issues.