When Southampton plays Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Saturday, they will be without one of their most valuable players.

The Saints have had an incredible FA Cup run this season, defeating elite teams Fulham and Arsenal in the round of 16 and quarterfinals, respectively. They are fighting for promotion from the Championship back to the Premier League at the earliest opportunity.

Bristol City held Tonda Eckert’s team to a 2-2 draw at St Mary’s Stadium on Tuesday, ending their incredible run of eight straight victories across all competitions.

Despite losing crucial points to the Robins in their most recent game, Southampton is still undefeated in 20 games and can enter Saturday’s high-profile matchup with Man City with confidence.

However, Pep Guardiola’s team will also be feeling optimistic after defeating Burnley 1-0 on Wednesday, surpassing Arsenal to the top of the Premier League standings.

Southampton will play Manchester City without a crucial midfield player.

Thanks to a brace from England international Nico O’Reilly, Man City defeated Arsenal 2-0 in last month’s EFL Cup final, securing silverware at Wembley this season.

Guardiola’s team is still aiming for a record domestic triple, so they won’t want to stop there.

This season, Southampton has already shown that they are willing to pull off an FA Cup surprise, and they would love to defeat the Premier League leaders in order to secure a trip to Wembley.

However, midfielder Flynn Downes will not be able to play in the Saints’ next three games due to a violent behavior charge, according to the team’s official website.

Downes was suspended due to an incident that occurred in the 23rd minute of last Saturday’s Championship triumph against Swansea City. The event was not witnessed by the match officials, but it was investigated after being caught on camera.

With 41 appearances across all competitions this season, the 27-year-old, who formerly played for West Ham United and Swansea, has been a vital member of Eckert’s team.

Downes, who most recently scored in a 5-1 victory over Welsh team Wrexham on April 7, has three goals and one assist this season. However, he will be conspicuously absent when his team travels to the English capital this coming weekend.

Southampton cannot allow Manchester City’s test to thwart their efforts to advance to the Championship.

In the fight for automatic promotion from the Premier League, Southampton is now three points behind second-place Ipswich Town following their 2-2 draw with Bristol City.

The Saints’ main objective this season is to secure their place in the top division for the following season, either automatically or through the Championship play-offs.

However, after defeating Arsenal in the quarterfinals, Eckert’s team will think they can cause difficulties for Man City this Saturday.

However, the North West team has the ability to completely defeat the Saints because Guardiola has players like Jeremy Doku and Erling Haaland at his disposal.

Southampton have to make sure they maintain their momentum in the Championship promotion battle even if they are soundly defeated by Man City.