MATCH PREVIEW: Charlton Athletic vs Southampton - Saturday 22nd November 2025 - 12:30pm Kick-Off
Charlton Athletic vs Southampton
Saturday 22nd November 2025 - 12:30pm Kick-Off
Referee: Stephen Martin
Introduction
Domestic Football returns this coming weekend, after the third, and last International Break of the year. It can be argued that each time the break has done us some good, the levels that individuals are putting in, to sustain our lofty League position, are becoming clear, with injuries starting to decimate the team. Its now been two weeks since our narrow defeat at Wrexham, so hopefully its given everyone a chance to recharge... Its full guns blazing until March now... This 2024/25 season certainly won't be getting any easier
The Opposition
Name: Southampton (17th) - Interim Manager: Tonda Eckert
Ground: St. Mary's Stadium
Previous League Result: Southampton 3-1 Sheff Wed
Up next for a trip to Fortress Valley will be Southampton, and the remaining side relegated from the Premier League that we've yet to face this season.
Naturally am sure deep down that this is one of two fixtures that Nathan Jones was looking forward to the most, the irony is that the second comes on Tuesday night. Yet it was at Southampton where his reputation saw the most damage inflicted. Although it can be argued that it resulted in our benefit, as had it not, he'd never have dropped to League One with us. For Southampton though, and its clear that their issues were always deeper than the Manager; Will Still their latest appointment in the summer was sacked at the start of the month, taking the total number of Manager wins for the Saints to a grand total of four across the last two seasons.
Southampton though, under the interim eye of Tonda Eckert have already started to show signs of improvement, picking up victories against QPR and Sheffield Wednesday as they look to pull away from the early threat that is the relegation zone. So the Saints will be making the trip to the Valley with signs of confidence. Goals though have never been a problem for this side, 18-goals so far this season, so our depleted defence will need to be on form... The 21-goals they've conceded, amongst the worst in the Division is evidence you need to be strong at both ends of the pitch to truly progress anywhere.
Of all the attacking threats you suspect it'll be Adam Armstrong who'll be the biggest, a prolific scorer over the years at this level, with five goals to his name already this season, as he looks to attempt to replicate his scoring stats from 2023/24 when he scored 21-goals and so fired Southampton to promotion via. the Play-Offs.
Charlton Team News
Sigh... Where do you start... Its felt down hill ever since Nathan Jones was asked about similarities to our 2019/20 campaign where we had to endure a mini-injury crisis, where the likes of the inexperienced James Vennings, Ben Dempsey and Josh Davison were hauled in to try and rescue our season - This time around its not quite so bad as that, maybe I'm being dramatic, but at least we won't be losing our impressive loan signing at any stage.
Oh wait... Of course... James Bree... On loan from Southampton, will be ineligible to play this coming weekend, meaning we have at least one further absence. So who plays at Right Wing-Back? - Does Rob Apter get a second chance after being partly at fault for the Hull goal a few weeks ago... Does Joe Rankin-Costello finally get an opportunity to earn his spurs, or will Onel Hernandez have his hand up (on second thoughts better avoid that option lad) to play on his more natural flank. Of course the left-field (on the right) option could be Josh Laqeretabua who has impressed Nathan Jones in the handful of First-Team appearances already, but the setup to the Championship is probably a bit too soon for the young Fijian.
On the positive front, its possible we may finally see the return of Matty Godden. Our own talismanic Striker has been absent since the Play-Off Final with a knee injury, and provided no setbacks, could make a long awaited appearance on the bench... Elsewhere and Tyreece Campbell, and Karoy Anderson will be returning, bitterly disappointed from International Duty, having missed out on the World Cup by the width of the woodwork.
Kaminski
Ramsay - Jones - Gillesphey
Apter - Coventry - Docherty - Campbell
Carey
Olaofe - Fullah
Substitutes: Mannion - Costello - Gough - Hernandez - Anderson - Knibbs - Berry - Godden - Reid
Comments
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This is the hardest XI to pick of the season, I genuinely have no idea. Our CBs should physically dominate their strikers but the wings are a bit of a concern3
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Could even see a flat back four with Ramsay and Hernandez or Campbell on the wingsfenaddick said:This is the hardest XI to pick of the season, I genuinely have no idea. Our CBs should physically dominate their strikers but the wings are a bit of a conc1 -
No Tanto FA? Is he injured... Great preview though and very reflective of where we are. Love a win but avoid a defeat is key.2
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Am glad you focused on me missing Tanto, rather than the fact that I'd put Miles in the starting eleven and on the bench lol! - I actually forgot about Tanto's existence, and also forgot that Miles is potentially injured himself.peterreeves said:No Tanto FA? Is he injured... Great preview though and very reflective of where we are. Love a win but avoid a defeat is key.
So updates made
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7 possibly unavailable due to injury or ineligibility tomorrow
A test no doubt against a side now picking up a slight bit of momentum
Burke, Bell, Edwards and Kelman - Out
Leaburn and Godden - Doubts
Bree - Ineligible3 -
Hard to call without knowing who’s out with injuries ?If Leaburn and Jones are ok then I can see us scraping it. 2-1
I just hope Jones doesn’t start negatively and he plays Apter at right wing back from the start .1 -
Are we just assuming Leaburn is out? Have we any ideas what the injury is?3
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Turned his ankle day before the Wrexham game and then was pulled out in the warm up the following dayLargeAddick said:Are we just assuming Leaburn is out? Have we any ideas what the injury is?1 -
He turned his ankle before the Wrexham game. Or so Jones says. We have no idea if he’s fit for tomorrowLargeAddick said:Are we just assuming Leaburn is out? Have we any ideas what the injury is?1 -
Got one adult spare North lower tomorrow. can meet outside before the game.£20.pm me2
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Great preview as always FA.
I think our home form this season will be absolutely vital if we are to remain in the top half of the table.
With 2 tough away games to follow i see this as a must win game.
2 1 Charlton and we continue to confound the opposition5 -
On the tarmac at Faro now headed for Bournemouth. 7AM bus to London in the morning. I’m three for three in wins so far this season. Fingers crossed for more of the same. COYA!26
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Start of a tough week, three points needed, 1-0 Addicks.1
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With Apter and TC as wingbacks we will get properly turned over. He has to go with the experience of Costello in one of those spots. We are up against some very classy attackers and I fear the worst with all these injuries.6
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Everyone dropping Onel because of the handball but I don't think we can, given the lack of options
Kaminski
Ramsay Jones Gillesphey
Costello Docherty Coventry Hernandez
Carey
Olaofe Campbell
Mannion Laqeratabua Gough Fullah Apter Anderson Knibbs Berry Leaburn7 -
I think Onenil should and will play unless Jones punishes him for his inexplicable brain fart against Wrexham, which he can't afford to do.sam3110 said:Everyone dropping Onel because of the handball but I don't think we can, given the lack of options
Kaminski
Ramsay Jones Gillesphey
Costello Docherty Coventry Hernandez
Carey
Olaofe Campbell
Mannion Laqeratabua Gough Fullah Apter Anderson Knibbs Berry Leaburn2 -
I would start apter at lwb and jrc at rwb. One attacking wingback one more traditional fullback. I would rather Apter switching sides than having one of our wide forwards or an 18 year old attacking midfielder playing in defense
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Not feeling great about this one, we’re playing them at a bad time although the international break came at a good time. Southampton set up in a 3-4-3 in their 2 interim boss’ fixtures so you’d expect them to do the same, it’s anti how we play but instead of putting square pegs in round holes for both our wing backs, I wonder if Jones has thought about deploying our wingers.
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This is a completely different and much more difficult game then it was 3 weeks ago Southampton was on the floor now 2 wins out of 2 full of confidence .. hopefully the break will have come at a great time for us .. Godden got some mins in a friendly match during the break either it’s enough to see him in the bench we will have to see ..
Apter will replace Bree especially at home .. Tanto and Leaburn up top let's change it Campbell on the bench cause that’s not working even straight swap with Knibbs playing Campbell
role
predication 1-1 … love 3 points especially the two away games coming up but few weeks ago would have said home win0 -
Heart is saying 3-0, Head a bit more realistic, 2-1.
But with the next run of games up to Xmas we should be able to cement Top 10 , and if we can get our squad back to full strength and some smart transfers in Jan....then maybe...just maybe.0 -
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Going for a streaky 2-1. Think Hernandez and Apter will start in the wing back spots, Tanto and TC up top if Miles isn't fit, if he is then perm two from those three. Hopefully Godden will make the bench. Midfield picks itself as do the three center halves.1
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Southampton Pre-Match Presser: Press Conference Live: Eckert on Charlton0
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- This is the first league meeting between Charlton and Southampton since April 2011 in League One, a game won 2-0 by the Saints.
- Southampton are winless in their last 10 away league matches against Charlton Athletic (D7 L3), with each of the last five ending in draws between September 2004 and March 2011.
- In all competitions, Charlton have won 18 of their last 23 home matches (D4 L1), winning 16 on home soil in 2025. It’s their most home wins in a year since 1983 (also 16), last winning more back in 1938 (18).
- Southampton have won their last two league games, as many as they’d won in their previous 27 games (W2 D9 L16). The Saints last won three in a row back in April 2024.
- Southampton have had 72.5% possession on average when losing in Championship games this season, the most of any side. However, when winning they average just 38.8% of the possession, a drop of 33.7% which is the largest difference between any side’s possession average when winning and losing.
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Wouldn’t surprise me to see Godden start this one4
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Keeping a clean sheet will be key. I’m not dismissing Southampton’s team and they’re only just relegated from the Prem and have spent quite a bit in the summer, but of our upcoming three games, this is the one I think we’ve got the best chance of 3 pts from.If we can come out the next 3 games with 4 points, I’d be delighted. Only 3 wouldn’t be the end of the world either
this and the next two are going to be really difficult games2 -
The Saints fan on Charlton Live was so convincingly down about their chances for Saturday . Apparently they have scraped two undeserved victories recently, and have some possible discord among players, and owners they dont trust. I think it must be a trick. 1-3 defeat.4
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I have to say that when I watched that interview with their interim manager that @ForeverAddickted posted above it sounded to me like the guy interviewing him didn’t actually believe the person he was interviewing would be around for much longer. To me, it didn’t sound like there any attempt to build a lasting relationship. Still, what do I know about these things ?swords_alive said:The Saints fan on Charlton Live was so convincingly down about their chances for Saturday . Apparently they have scraped two undeserved victories recently, and have some possible discord among players, and owners they dont trust. I think it must be a trick. 1-3 defeat.0 -
Need to win this espescially as stoke and coventry away next1
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Nice preview FA as per...
No need to go into games fearing anybody, and can see us giving their stand in manager a bloody nose with a nice 3-0 win...👌
Sounds like it could be a wet day...1 -
Is Bell definitely out? I am sure I saw a club video in the week where he was in full training kit and appeared to coming back from a training session on the pitches at Sparrows Lane?0
