Russell Martin will look to get the better of his former side when his Southampton team play host to Swansea City on Boxing Day.

While the promotion-chasing hosts are currently sitting in fourth place, the Swans head into Tuesday's fixture in 16th position.

Match preview

Since suffering four consecutive defeats in September, Southampton have embarked on an impressive run of form, having avoided defeat in each of their previous 15 matches (W10, D5).

After playing out 1-1 draws with Watford and Coventry City earlier this month, the Saints have returned to winning ways in their last two outings.

They cruised to a 4-0 home win over Blackburn Rovers, before a Taylor Harwood-Bellis effort helped them claim a 1-0 victory against Queens Park Rangers to move within seven points of second-placed Ipswich Town.

Buoyed from their success in West London, the Saints will now return to St Mary's, where they have won each of their previous five home games, keeping clean sheets in the last three of those matches.

Martin will hope that his team can continue their fine home form when they go up against Swansea – a club where he stood in the dugout for 99 games in a two-year spell as manager, before leaving to take over the reins at Southampton in the summer.

With Swansea still searching for a permanent head coach, caretaker boss Alan Sheehan is preparing to oversee his fifth game in charge following the sacking of Michael Duff earlier this month.

After Duff failed to win any of his final five matches, Sheehan has managed to spark an upturn in fortunes, with the Swans winning two of their four games under his tutelage (D1, L1).

The 37-year-old began his tenure with a win over Rotherham United, before seeing his side draw with Stoke City and lose to Middlesbrough.

Following a couple of underwhelming results, the Swans returned to winning ways in Friday's game against Preston North End, with Jamie Paterson netting a brace – including a 95th-minute winner – to guide his team to their first home victory since October 4.

After celebrating a 2-1 success at the weekend, Swansea will now head on the road for their final two matches of the year, beginning with Tuesday's trip to the South coast, where they will attempt to record their first away win over Southampton since February 2015, having drawn one and lost two of their last three trips to St Mary's.

Team News

Martin recently revealed that striker Ross Stewart is unlikely to play again this season due to his hamstring injury being worse than originally feared.

Juan Larios and Kamaldeen Sulemana are ruled out through injury, while Shea Charles is suspended following his red card at the weekend.

Right-back James Bree is a doubt for the Boxing Day clash after he was forced off in the first half of Saturday's contest with a knock.

As for the visitors, they are expected to be without the services of Steven Benda, Harrison Ashby, Azeem Abdulai and Josh Ginnelly.

Nathanael Ogbeta and Mykola Kuharevich are closing in on a return to fitness, but Tuesday's contest may come too soon for the pair.

Joe Allen returned from a lengthy spell on the sidelines to feature in Friday's matchday squad, and although he was an unused substitute, he could still provide Sheehan with a useful option off the bench at St Mary's.

Southampton possible starting lineup:
Bazunu; Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Manning; Aribo, Downes, Smallbone; Edozie, A. Armstrong; S. Armstrong

Swansea City possible starting lineup:
Rushworth; Darling, Cabango, Humphreys, Tymon; Grimes, Fulton; Key, Walsh, Paterson; Lowe

We say: Southampton 2-1 Swansea City

Despite enjoying a successful weekend, we think that Swansea could fall short against their promotion-chasing hosts, who should have enough quality to edge out the visitors and record a fifth consecutive home victory.

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