NIGEL Adkins has to decide whether to make wholesale changes to his defence for the second time in as many games.

The Saints boss was forced into a reshuffle at the back for the visit of Nottingham Forest last weekend with three of his back four that had started the season so strongly missing through injury.

Dan Seaborne, Frazer Richardson and Dan Harding were all unavailable for the game against Steve McClaren’s men.

In came Dutch centre half Jos Hooiveld for his debut while Danny Fox was given his first start at left back.

Jack Cork dropped to right back with Morgan Schneiderlin partnering Dean Hammond in the centre of midfield.

Richardson is expected to be fit again after a calf injury picked up in the Carling Cup victory at Swindon while Harding should also be available having jarred his knee in training the day before the Forest game.

It will leave Adkins with a major dilemma as to whether to change a winning team when Saints host Birmingham at St Mary’s on Sunday.

Generally, he has preferred not to muck about with sides that have won games.

But as the defence looked somewhat suspect against Forest, and the back four with Richardson and Harding had been on such a great run before they were injured, it adds to the case for more changes.

Hooiveld is expected to start again as he becomes the regular left sided centre half partner alongside Jose Fonte with Seaborne sidelined for an extended period of time due to the head injuries he has suffered.

The big decision will be whether to bring Harding and Richardson straight back in.

With Harding it is a slightly more straightforward decision as it is simply a choice between either Fox or the man who was in possession of the shirt before his injury.

The Richardson situation at right back is slightly more complex.

Cork has started the season brilliantly and it is hard to see him being dropped, so if Richardson came into the side at right back it would mean Cork almost certainly moving back into the centre of midfield.

That in turn would have to mean either Hammond, or more likely Schneiderlin, missing out.

Adkins will also have in mind that Sunday’s game against Birmingham marks the start of a run of five fixtures in 14 days.

With the Carling Cup third round against Preston the next up at St Mary’s next Wednesday, he is likely to utilise his full squad.

Adkins played several first teamers in the previous round at League Two Swindon, but that was before an international break.

With the Preston tie coming right in the middle of a packed league schedule, and a long away double header at Burnley and Cardiff next up after North End’s visit, it is likely to affect his thinking.