SAINTS B line up to face West Brom in Premier League Cup action with no Dynel Simeu among the squad, after he captained the side to a St Mary’s defeat at the weekend.

The Southampton-local summer signing arrived from Chelsea’s academy with good pedigree and is expected to be a future first-teamer for Ralph Hasenhuttl.

Jack Stephens has been ruled out for up to three months and in the first game following, Simeu is not in David Horseman’s B team squad for a first time.

He didn’t go off injured or with a knock on Sunday, but could well have picked something up in training between now and then.

But it also could indicate potential involvement with the first team, after he may be needed to make up numbers in training and warm-up drills – possibly even provide defensive cover in the case of multiple fresh injury concerns.

The 19-year-old Cameroon-born centre-back is yet to taste victory with Saints’ B team, but he does stand out as a big, physical player with plenty of confidence and character – which is often half the battle.

He will have no concerns stepping into a first-team fold on a passenger basis, although ability-wise probably isn’t ready to step into the side just yet, unless forced.

For now, his B team teammates will have to fare without him. Speaking ahead of the West Brom match, Horseman previewed the contest saying: “Yeah, they’re good.

“They play like their first team as well, 3-4-3, the guy from Barnsley last year has gone in there so they’re quite front foot, but we haven’t played a game apart from maybe Fulham where we haven’t been in it, so we’re doing good things.

“It’s not a game we’re scared of, we have to make sure we dust ourselves down and go again, we’re playing loads and loads of games and they’re getting a taste of what it is like to be a professional footballer at the moment, I can’t wait.

“What you need to do when you’re on a run of games like this is show a reaction, the reaction needs to be a positive one.”