Southampton manager speaks on Aribo's rare start against  Crystal Palace

Southampton manager Ruben Selles has explained why he made the decision to start Joe Aribo in Southampton’s defeat against Crystal Palace.

The 26-year-old versatile attacker has found minutes hard to come by since Selles succeeded Nathan Jones as manager in mid-February.

A substitute appearance in the FA Cup defeat against Grimsby Town on March 1 was the last time Aribo was seen on a pitch for Saints, with the summer signing from Rangers last making a Premier League start on New Years Eve.

Selles picked Aribo in his starting eleven against Palace at St Mary’s on Saturday, with Saints succumbing to a 2-0 defeat that keeps them bottom of the table four points adrift from safety.

Eberechi Eze’s brace secured all three points for the Eagles, whereas Aribo struggled to make an impact at the other end.

Asked post-match whether starting a more natural striker would have been a better option, Selles responded: "No, I don't think it will make any difference because the way that we are arriving in the chances doesn't indicate that we need another striker.

"Joe Aribo is a striker that played as a striker in the final of the Europa League last year. So that's why we chose him today to play in those spaces. And I think he helped us a lot in many different phases of the game. We arrived at the situation but we didn't make it. And unfortunately when they arrive in our box, they made it."

Eze’s second-half goals maintained Palace’s unbeaten run under Roy Hodgson, three wins in three, and has created a nine-point gap from the relegation zone, whereas Saints have seven games left to climb out of the bottom three.