Ivan Juric hints playing out of favour star against Swansea | OneFootball

Southampton boss Ivan Juric has hinted at the possibility of playing Armel Bella Kotchap in the FA Cup against Swansea.

Today, Southampton will kick off their FA Cup campaign against Swansea. A week after the embarrassing loss to Brentford at home, the Saints would want to take their first win of the new year.

But given that Southampton has kept the second fewest clean sheets in the Premier League, defensive changes are imminent in the FA Cup. One of them could be giving a chance to a forgotten defender into the lineup.

That could very well be Armel Bella-Kotchap, though. While the 23-year-old centre-back has only made one appearance so far this season, the appointment of Ivan Juric could soon change things for him.

Not to forget, Bella-Kotchap had revealed that Ivan Juric is open to giving him a fresh start in his tenure. Now ahead of the Swansea fixture, the manager has himself hinted about this possibility.

Ivan Juric hints playing out of favour star against Swansea

In the pre match press conference, Ivan Juric was asked about Bella-Kotchap's inclusion in the lineup, to which he had an interesting response. As quoted by the Daily Echo, Ivan Juric said: "We will see".

Regular starters like Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Nathan Wood are predicted to start, thus, Bella-Kotchap could be used as a third centre-back. Swansea aren't expected to test the Southampton defence much, meaning Bella-Kotchap has a great opportunity to impress Juric.

With experienced defender Jack Stephens struggling this season, the Saints need a center-back to provide reliable cover in the defence. In such a scenario, if Bella-Kotchap hits the ground running against Swansea, it could be a win-win situation for both the player and the club.

The hope is that Southampton will be able to take a comfortable win today. Further, let's see how much playing time Ivan Juric gives to Armel Bella-Kotchap.