Fraser Forster is set to make his first top team appearance of the season when Southampton take on Liverpool tomorrow night.
The keeper hasn’t played since the start of March when Celtic beat St Mirren 5-0 but now has to step in to face Jurgen Klopp’s league leaders.
Regular keeper Alex McCarthy returned a positive test meaning that Forster has been called off the bench to make his top team return.
Discussing the absence of their first choice keeper, The Daily Mail reports:
His absence is a significant blow for Southampton. He has been in impressive form this season and only Emiliano Martinez has kept more than his seven Premier League clean sheets.
But it will also open the door for Fraser Forster to return to Southampton’s first team and make his first appearance for the club since May 2019.
Forster fell out of favour at Southampton under Mauricio Pellegrino and before facing West Ham in May 2019 his previous game for the club was on Boxing Day in 2017. Forster spent last season on loan at Celtic.
The former England keeper returned for pre-season training at elti but returned to Southampton at the end of June when his loan expired.
Southampton are currently in ninth place in the EPL but a win over Liverpool would take them into joint fourth place, four points behind leaders Liverpool.
Talks between Celtic and Southampton for another deal continued, the clubs agreed a loan for Moi Elyounoussi but for unknown reasons were unable to come up with a deal for Forster.
Celtic then spent £4.5m on Vasilis Barkas from AEK Athens but the Greek keeper has been unconvincing with Scott Bain and Conor Hazard also having spells in the team.
