Following a goalless first leg at the Riverside, Southampton and Middlesbrough will face off in a shootout to determine who will advance to the play-off final at Wembley on Tuesday night.

Given the off-field occurrences that occurred leading up to Saturday’s game, it had a lot more bite.

Indeed, Southampton were charged with violating EFL rules when a performance analyst for Tonda Eckert’s team was accused of spying on Middlesbrough’s training session on the Thursday before the match.

That resulted in a somewhat tense meeting between the two head coaches before and after the game, when they shook hands, and even colder answers, primarily from a Southampton standpoint, in the news conferences that ensued.

Nonetheless, it was a game in which Boro rued missed chances and will be disappointed that they are not carrying a lead to St Mary’s, whereas Southampton will be relieved to have things level ahead of a return to a place where they have not lost in 12 consecutive games in any competition.

And, despite the off-field commotion that remains prevalent heading into Tuesday, the attention will be solely on it for 90 minutes. Unfortunately, these seven players are still expected to miss out.

Jack Stephens

Jack Stephens is still recovering from a calf injury, according to Southampton’s match report ahead of Tuesday night’s game against Middlesbrough.

The Saints skipper has missed five successive games, but there was hope he might return for the first leg against Boro on Saturday.

Ultimately, unlike Kuryu Matsuki, the 32-year-old remained on the sidelines, which is expected to continue on Tuesday.

Mads Roerlev

Mads Roerslev has had an injury-riddled debut season at St Mary’s after joining from Brentford in the summer.

The former Danish international made only two substitute appearances under Tonda Eckert before suffering an injury that ended his season. An original knee ailment, followed with Achilles surgery in February, has sidelined him for the remainder of the year.

Alex McCarthy

Alex McCarthy, a veteran goalkeeper, has not appeared on the pitch since Will Still’s final game in command at Southampton in November, and he has not been included in a squad since early February.

The latter is due to him having wrist surgery, for which he was allegedly close to returning to play in March. Despite this, the match pack indicates he is still a long-term absentee.

With Daniel Peretz performing admirably in goal, there is no reason for the 36-year-old to be rushed back.

Hayden Hackney

The major news coming out of the Middlesbrough camp ahead of Tuesday night’s second leg duel is that Championship Player of the Season Hayden Hackney will be unable to make the team due to a calf injury, which will cause him to miss his 10th consecutive game.

Boro definitely missed his X-Factor in the engine room near the end of the season, and he could hold the key to unlocking Southampton’s defence in the second leg.

Despite modest training leading up to Saturday, he will not be fit for either leg. He will, however, be allowed to return to the squad for the play-off final on May 23, assuming Kim Hellberg’s side advances.

Alex Bangura

Left-back Alex Bangura’s injury-plagued spell on Teeside continued in the season’s penultimate game against Watford, when he was replaced at halftime.

That was his first start since being forced off against Swansea City on Easter Monday, and when asked about it, the Boro manager explained that it was owing to complications from his injury against the Swans.

Given his little game time, his fitness has been an issue. He missed Saturday and will most likely miss Tuesday night’s second leg as well.

Alfie Jones

Alfie Jones was a key member of Boro’s strong defence in the first half of the season, but a catastrophic ankle injury ended his season, and it was reported in late April that the former Hull City player would be sidelined for the remainder of the season.

The 28-year-old came through Southampton’s youth, but he won’t be able to help his current team go to Wembley at the expense of his former club.

Fortunately, with Adilson Malanda, Luke Ayling, and Dael Fry holding down the backline, his absence hasn’t been too noticeable.

Darragh Lenihan

Finally, Darragh Lenihan has not worn a Middlesbrough shirt since a draw at Preston North End in September, one of his two outings this season.

The 32-year-old is presently out with an Achilles injury and is unlikely to be offered a new contract when his current deal at the Riverside expires this summer.