Southampton return to Premier League action on Saturday afternoon, travelling to Yorkshire to take on fellow relegation strugglers Leeds United in a game which could prove definitive in the fight to climb up the table and ward off danger.

The term 'six-pointer' may seem cliched, but the outcome of this particular clash could go a long way towards determining the rest of the season for the pair who currently occupy the bottom two positions in the table.

Despite picking up a monumental victory against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last weekend, the Saints are three points adrift of 17th; and with newly-appointed manager Ruben Selles masterminding the club's most important win of the season so far, a further positive performance and a result to match could secure his tenure for the remainder of the campaign.

However, progress would be hindered and problems would be exacerbated if the home side were to clinch victory at Elland Road, an outcome that Southampton will be desperate to prevent.

To give his team their best chance of recording consecutive wins, Selles must consider unleashing Saints starlet Samuel Edozie, whose robust nature could be utilised in what is sure to be a raucous atmosphere, given how high the stakes are.

Should Selles start Sam Edozie today?

Southampton committed 24 fouls in west London seven days ago, the most of any team in a Premier League game this season; and while some might view this as belligerent, it is actually an indication that Selles has swiftly sparked life and vigour into the south coast club.

Against a notoriously high-pressing opponent in Leeds, matching them for energy may be a necessity if victory is indeed to be realised. In order to do this, Edozie's capabilities must be utilised.

Since signing from Manchester City for £10m last summer, the 20-year-old has played 20 matches this season across all competitions. While he has only started on five occasions in the Premier League, each of those has come after Christmas, illustrating his growing presence in this Saints team.

As per FBref, the youngster ranks among the top 3% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe's five big leagues for tackles, top 4% for interceptions and top 8% for clearances. It is this level of grit which could prove invaluable to Southampton's efforts against Leeds and indeed for the rest of the campaign.

The "lively" gem, as dubbed by Henry Winter, wins 3.1 ground duels per match, coming out on top in 62% of these (as per Sofascore); and considering that he's also chalking up 0.5 shots and 0.4 key passes per outing, he can certainly add a multi-dimensional sheen to bolster his team's endeavours.

Considering that no team in the Premier League this season has made more tackles than Leeds' 553, Selles must look to utilise the "fantastic" (as dubbed by Zach Lowy) Edozie's direct aggressiveness to combat what will undoubtedly be a hostile and vigorous atmosphere, both on the pitch and from the cacophonous stands.

Should the Saints lose, the task of preserving their top-flight status would look a tall order. Conversely, a a second successive victory would not only see the south coast club leapfrog the Whites, but could even take them out of the bottom three depending on results elsewhere today. Edozie might just be pivotal in ensuring that this happens.