Good afternoon and welcome to LIVE coverage of West Ham's Visit to Southampton. Full team news is on the way but here's the headline - Jose Fonte starts against the club he played for for seven years.

A delay in the game now as Kouyate receives some treatment.

An instant response from the visitors then to Gabbiadini's goal, who looked like he was probably just onside. Carroll meanwhile fooled Stephens with some clever movement, pointing one way then running the other.

GOAL! 1-1! Obiang dissects Southampton's centre-backs with a smart through ball and Carroll runs onto it and sides a first time finish home.

GOAL! 1-0 to Southampton! What a way to start! Gabbiadini beats the offside trap and from a tight angle hammers a left foot shot in off the bar!

West Ham meanwhile are playing a 3-5-2. Uneventful so far.

Gabbiadini is dropping quite deep early but looks to be playing in the middle with Rodriguez to his left and Boufal on the right.

Ward-Prowse hits a volley from the edge of the box into the ground, making it a comfortable save for Randolph.

Feghouli's searching cross is headed over by Carroll at the back post, although he'd already been penalised for a foul on Cedric.

Some boos greet Fonte's first prolonged time in possession of the ball.

West Ham get the game started.

Graham Scott is today's referee.

The two sides are in the tunnel, West Ham wearing white shirts, blue shorts and white socks.

Not long now.

When these two met earlier in the season West Ham were in the middle of their stadium migration nightmare and Saints took full advantage, hammering them 3-0.

Puel has demanded his payers hit the ground running today. "It's important to come back with a good start, a good first half," he said. "It was not this against Swansea. We produced a good second half there, but it was not sufficient. I think, of course, it's important to come back with good spirit, quality and to give pleasure to our fans with a good result.”

With kick-off a little more than 15 minutes away, here's a reminder of the teams in full. SOUTHAMPTON: Forster, Cedric, Yoshida, Stephens, Bertrand, Romeu, Davis, Ward-Prowse, Boufal, Rodriguez, Gabbiadini. Subs: Taylor, McQueen, Gardos, Clasie, Hojbjerg, Redmond, Long. /// WEST HAM UNITED: Randolph, Kouyate, Fonte, Reid, Cresswell, Feghouli, Obiang, Noble, Snodgrass, Antonio, Carroll. Subs: Adrian, Collins, Fernandes, Quina, Lanzini, Calleri, Fletcher.

Unsurprisingly West Ham have copied Southampton's old chant.

Southampton’s build-up has been dominated by the news Virgil van Dijk faces three months out with injury which, coupled with the sale of Fonte, leaves them short of centre-backs as they didn’t bring one in January despite assurances they would replace Fonte.

Slaven Bilic will be hoping for a reaction from his side after their humiliation at the hands of Man City for the second time in a matter of weeks, but is expecting another tough fixture today. “I remember they played some really good football and played some good away games and then I see they are below us,” he said of Southampton. “I like the way they play, they obviously have their ups and downs in games and have played a lot of games because of Europe and the EFL Cup. They have some new players and some injuries and it will be a tough game for us and for them.”

Maya Yoshida scored the only goal in this fixture last season and starts again today. Two of his three Premier League goals have come against the Hammers.

During his seven years with Southampton Fonte won two promotions, the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy and the club’s Player of the Season award twice. Football fans are fickle beasts, but he’ll surely get a good reception from the home fans today.