Town boss Jim Magilton is sweating on four of the players who helped the Blues to a 2-0 victory over Reading at the weekend as he prepares his squad for Wednesday's trip to Southampton (KO 7.45pm). Gareth McAuley, Ben Thatcher, Alan Quinn and Jon Walters are all doubts.

McAuley picked up a dead leg in the first half of Saturday's game, while Thatcher missed the win against the Royals with a similar problem. Quinn has a tight hamstring and Walters required stitches to his head and has bruising and swelling around the wound.

Magilton says the quartet will be given time before being ruled out of contention: "We will see how all four come through the next 24 hours and then make a decision.

"Gareth and Ben are major doubts although Ben did some jogging yesterday. We don't want Alan's hamstring to tear, so we will have to be careful, while we will take medical advice on Jon with a head injury.

"I know all four want to play, but it will be a case of seeing how they react today.”

McAuley's absence is likely to see Pim Balkestein keep his place alongside Richard Naylor, who will take the armband, at centre-half, the Dutchman's greater height and mobility probably winning him the nod ahead of Iván Campo.

Alex Bruce is back from his suspension but will not travel to Southampton and will play in Tuesday's reserve game at home to Wycombe Wanderers (KO 7pm).

David Wright will continue at left-back if Thatcher misses out with Moritz Volz at right-back and Richard Wright in goal.

Magilton has confirmed that Owen Garvan will keep his place in central midfield with Tommy Miller likely to be alongside him. Walters rarely misses a game through injury and will probably keep his right-side midfield role, although Danny Haynes will be itching for a return to the starting line-up.

David Norris will also travel and won't play in the reserve game and may be in line for a recall in place of Quinn. Norris, who scored his only Town goal in last season's 1-1 draw at St Mary's, has put in impressive all action displays in his last two reserve games and is closing in on a first team return. Liam Trotter and Veliche Shumulikoski may also be eyeing the left midfield role if Quinn misses out.

Up front, Jon Stead and Pablo Couñago showed a good understanding in their first game together at the weekend and will start, with Kevin Lisbie coming off the bench at some stage. Magilton also says anyone who particularly impresses in the reserves against Wycombe could be added to Wednesday's 16.

Southampton currently sit second bottom of the Championship on three points having lost both their home league matches. Head coach Jan Poortvliet, who took over from Nigel Pearson in the summer, says there is pressure on his young side: "We have to learn that every game is a game with pressure.

"We stay where we are and that means pressure to win games but the pressure to win games is football.

"I love it because every game you play you need the pressure to win a game and whether you are down or you are up it's the same.”

The Saints lost 4-1 at QPR on Sunday despite playing some pretty football, but a red card to debutant centre-half Ollie Lancashire for a wild lunge in the first half meant they were on the back foot for much of the game and only a string of saves from Kelvin Davis prevented a cricket score.

Lancashire is suspended for tonight's game, while fellow centre-halves Michael Svensson and Wayne Thomas both have knee problems and also miss out.

Overall, Town have had the better of the Saints over the years. The Blues have won 25 games between the sides (24 in the league), Southampton 19 (15) with 17 (17) matches ending in draws.

Last season, the teams drew 1-1 at St. Mary's, Stern John giving the Saints the lead in the first half, then David Norris netting for the Blues after the break. At Portman Road earlier in the season, goals from Jon Walters and Pablo Couñago gave Town a 2-0 win.

Kelvin Davis is the only former Blue in the Southampton squad at present, although Rudi Skácel came close to joining Town for £1 million in the summer, but the deal ultimately fell through. Malcolm Webster is the Southampton goalkeeper-coach having fulfilled a similar role with the Blues under George Burley's management.

Richard Wright spent time on loan at St Mary's at the end of last season, while Blues boss Jim Magilton played for the Saints between 1994 and 1997 alongside Town coach Richard Hall.

Wednesday's referee is Phil Crossley from Kent, who has shown 12 yellow and one red card in five games so far this season.

Crossley's last Town game was the 1-1 home draw with Leeds in January 2006 in which he awarded the Yorkshire side a controversial 88th minute penalty for a handball by Jason De Vos when the Town defender looked to have been shoved.

Likely squad: R Wright, Supple, Volz, D Wright, Thatcher, McAuley, Naylor, Balkestein, Smith, Garvan, Miller, Campo, Shumulikoski, Quinn, Trotter, Norris, Walters, Haynes, Couñago, Stead, Lisbie.

Photo: Action Images

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