Match Pack: Charlton vs Saints
Get game-ready for Southampton’s return to action following the final international break of the year, as interim manager Tonda Eckert leads Saints to The Valley to take on Charlton Athletic in the Sky Bet Championship.
THE MATCH
Charlton Athletic vs Southampton
Sky Bet Championship
The Valley
Saturday 22nd November, 12.30pm GMT
THE OFFICIALS
Referee: Stephen Martin
Assistants: Mark Dwyer, Matthew Smith
Fourth official: Benjamin Speedie
THE KITS
With Charlton in their traditional home colours of red shirts, white shorts and red socks, Saints will be in our yellow and blue away strip for this one.
TICKETS
Saints fans have already snapped up the full allocation of 3,129 away tickets, with a total attendance well in excess of 20,000 expected in the capital.
LIVE COVERAGE
For those unable to make it to The Valley, Saints Play match passes are available to supporters outside the UK. The match will also be broadcast live on Sky Sports+, with coverage getting under way from 12.25pm GMT.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Saints are hunting a third successive league win following back-to-back victories under Eckert heading into the international break.
It’s the club’s first visit to The Valley since the 2010/11 League One promotion-winning campaign. Saints drew 1-1 that day, and haven’t won at Charlton since 1990 – that’s 10 visits without a victory, with the last five all drawn.
The Addicks are newly promoted to the Championship, having won the League One play-offs under former Saints boss Nathan Jones last season.
It’s a first reunion with his former club for Jones, who has Charlton on the fringes of the Championship top six on their return to the second tier.
TEAM NEWS
Charlton: Jones confirmed in his pre-match press conference that the illness which had impacted his squad before the international break has now fully cleared.
Charlton will be without Saints loanee James Bree, who is ineligible to face his parent club.
Saints: Eckert will be without Mads Roerslev, Elias Jelert, Shea Charles and Ross Stewart, but Ryan Fraser and Flynn Downes are available along with Welington, who has now served the three-match ban he picked up following his red card at Blackburn last month.
The interim boss confirmed Oriol Romeu is still "a couple of weeks" away from making his second Saints debut.
THE MANAGERS
Nathan Jones: “It’s just another Championship game for us. It’s at The Valley, it’s a big crowd against an ex-Premier League team, so it’s a wonderful challenge for us. It’s why we wanted to be at this level: to play in games of this calibre, so we’re really looking forward to it.
“We’ve focused on the team since they changed manager, that’s the sensible thing to do, so what happened before I have no idea. There’s obviously been an uplift in certain things along with two wins. They have an excellent squad, a top squad, a fantastic budget for the level, they’ve spent a lot of money, so they’re going to be a very dangerous side, we know that.”
Tonda Eckert: “We managed to create some enthusiasm and momentum over the last two games, and what matters is that we manage to keep this going.
“What we need to integrate more and more into the team is that there will be spells that we need to suffer in – you could see that against QPR – and to get over those moments of suffering within the game, and that is going to be important going forwards.”
ONES TO WATCH
Sonny Carey: A summer signing from Blackpool, Carey has excelled so far this season, chipping in with five goals from midfield already.
Beginning his career in non-league football, Carey gained Championship experience with Blackpool prior to their relegation in 2023, and scored 11 goals in all competitions for the League One side last term, highlighting his ability to make timely runs into the box from deep.
Caspar Jander: Talented German midfielder Jander is beginning to find his feet in English football following some accomplished recent performances.
The 22-year-old scored his first Saints goal in bizarre fashion last time out against Sheffield Wednesday, and will hope to chip in with a few more after registering 12 goal contributions (three goals, nine assists) in the German second tier last term.
TOP PERFORMERS
Charlton
Goals:
Carey 5
Berry, Bree, Fullah, Gillesphey, Leaburn 2
Seven players 1
Assists:
Bree 3
Docherty, Olaofe 2
Campbell, Coventry, Kanu, Leaburn 1
Saints
Goals:
Armstrong 5
Archer, Manning, Robinson, Scienza, Stewart 2
Nine players 1
Assists:
Fraser 2
Thirteen players 1
FORM GUIDE
Charlton
Wrexham (a) SBC: L 0-1
West Brom (h) SBC: W 1-0 (Carey)
Swansea (h) SBC: D 1-1 (Kelman)
Hull (a) SBC: D 1-1 (Berry)
Ipswich (a) SBC: W 3-0 (Carey, Gillesphey, Leaburn)
Saints
Sheff Wed (h) SBC: W 3-1 (Jander, Azaz, Armstrong)
QPR (a) SBC: W 2-1 (Robinson, Scienza)
Preston (h) SBC: L 0-2
Blackburn (a) SBC: L 1-2 (Scienza)
Bristol City (a) SBC: L 1-3 (Armstrong)
HEAD TO HEAD
Played: 63
Charlton wins: 18
Draws: 17
Saints wins: 28
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
Apr 2011: Saints 2-0 Charlton League One (Guly, Barnard)
Mar 2011: Charlton 1-1 Saints League One (Jaïdi)
Apr 2010: Saints 1-0 Charlton League One (Antonio)
Nov 2009: Saints 2-1 Charlton JPT (Thomas, Lambert)
Sep 2009: Charlton 1-1 Saints League One (Lallana)
KEEP UP TO DATE
Not able to make it to the game? Download the official Saints app to follow live in-match updates and follow us on social media for further updates and exclusive content:
- Instagram
- Twitter
- Facebook
A limited number of Men's Half Season Tickets are now available. Don't miss a minute of the action across the second half of the season, beginning with the visit of Hull City to St Mary's in January, with prices starting from around £21 per match.
