EPL: Saints welcome looming local derby, but first trek north

Southampton`s manager Ronald Koeman is already relishing the added spice a local derby will provide when all-but promoted Bournemouth join his Saints in the premier league next season.

With Portsmouth languishing in the bottom tier of English professional football, that once-fiery rivalry has had the heat taken out of it, and currently Southampton`s nearest opponents are Crystal Palace and Queen`s Park Rangers - both some 80 miles to the north east in London.

But with tiny Bournemouth set to clinch a remarkable rise to the top flight this weekend, Saints fans and players will have a local rivalry once more to get their teeth into.

"I think it is fantastic," said former Holland and Barcelona bulwark Koeman. "It`s 30 minutes for an away game and I like that. It makes it a little bit special and that`s good... good to have."

First for Southampton, however, is the sharp end of the fight for European football. Saints make the long trek north to Sunderland for Saturday`s clash sitting in seventh spot on 57 points, one fewer than fifth-placed Liverpool and Tottenham in sixth.

With third-placed Arsenal set to contest the FA Cup final, seventh spot could be enough to clinch a Europa League place, but Koeman would much rather make sure, and there is everything to play for with four matches remaining.

Third-from-bottom Sunderland are fighting for their premier league lives, though, yet Koeman thinks this might make them more brittle.

"Sometimes I think it makes it more difficult because they are really fighting for one point and you have to prepare for that," Koeman said. "But, on the other side... if you score the first goal, how will be the reaction of the fans, the team reaction?

"You saw it in the home game against Hull City, and it was over."

Southampton will be missing French midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin, ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury, although Kenyan Victor Wanyama returns to the middle of the park after suspension. Midfielder Dusan Tadic has still not recovered from a groin injury.

Sunderland, coached by Dutchman Dick Advocaat, are likely to be missing Steven Fletcher with an ankle injury, though Sebastian Larsson is expected to return from suspension.