Southampton travelled to Germany for a closed-doors friendly against Bundesliga side SC Paderborn on Wednesday, handing competitive minutes to a large chunk of their squad in a match that finished 2-1 to the hosts. The fixture was used primarily to build sharpness rather than fine tune tactics, with Saints introducing 22 players during the contest.
Who featured — and who didn’t
Although Lewis Dobbin struck early to put Southampton ahead in the first half, two late goals from Paderborn turned the game around. The game’s closed nature means detailed assessment is limited, but the team-sheet and substitute list still provide useful pointers about manager Tonda Eckert’s plans for the coming weeks.
Certain omissions attracted attention from supporters watching team news rather than the match live. Most significantly:
- Shea Charles did not participate. The midfielder has been training in Germany and played the second half of the club’s recent win over Eintracht Braunschweig, having returned to pre-season later than most after international duty for Northern Ireland. Club sources indicate his absence is not related to any transfer and he remains a Saints player.
- Tom Fellows was also absent for reasons not yet disclosed.
- Mad Roerslev sat out as expected; Eckert has signalled that the Dane’s minutes must be carefully managed following a long spell out with an Achilles issue.
Goalkeeper situation clarified
Another clear message from the trip concerns the goalkeeping hierarchy. Aaron Ramsdale and Gavin Bazunu were left out of this matchday squad amid growing expectation their futures will lie elsewhere. Eckert has publicly designated Daniel Peretz as first choice, with George Long serving as his back-up — a structure the selection in Paderborn appeared to confirm.
Injury to monitor
One development to keep an eye on is the knock suffered by teenage defender Damion Downs, who went off injured during the game. Without live or prolonged broadcast coverage, it is hard to judge severity from highlights alone, so supporters will be awaiting club medical updates before drawing conclusions about his availability for the early part of the campaign.
| Player | Status at Paderborn | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Shea Charles | Absent | Training in Germany; later return from international duty; not linked to transfer |
| Tom Fellows | Absent | Reason unconfirmed |
| Mad Roerslev | Absent | Minutes managed after Achilles surgery |
| Aaron Ramsdale & Gavin Bazunu | Left out | Longer-term futures expected elsewhere; Peretz first choice |
| Damion Downs | Substituted injured | Injury being monitored |
For supporters, the match serves as a reminder that pre-season fixtures are as much about conditioning and assessing squad depth as results. The Paderborn trip underlined the club’s current goalkeeping hierarchy and the cautious approach to players returning from long-term injuries, while leaving a few selection questions unresolved ahead of competitive games.
Further clarity is likely to come once Saints publish medical updates and name squads for the opening fixtures; until then, fans will be watching training reports and transfer news for signs of how the squad will be finalised.
