Claude Puel has one simple message for his players as Saints try and pick up their Premier League form at bottom of the table Sunderland: ‘Forget Wembley.’

Saints are aiming to avoid a club record equalling worst ever top flight run of seven defeats in eight games as they travel to the Stadium of Light.

The match against the Black Cats is the club’s last before Saints play the League Cup final against Manchester United at Wembley on February 26.

But Puel has refused to tell his squad they are playing for starting berths in the showpiece match – because he doesn’t want to give it a second thought at this stage.

He said: “It’s not for me a choice on selection about the final. This game is important to win.

“Of course we have to play just one game every week and it is different because with less rotation for example.

“It is important all the players stay focussed about the work and to give the good answer for this game.

“The game, seriously, I don’t think anything about the final. For me it’s far and we have time to prepare this game, so it’s just to stay focussed about this game against Sunderland.

“Our fans, the squad, the staff, all deserve other things, not this last result ( against West Ham).

“I think all the players have some good concentration about this game without thinking about the final and this is very important.

“We can have one week to prepare this game and it is fantastic for us. It is a very good thing to keep our calm, to have the good analysis about the last games and to find the good solution to prepare this game.

“We talk about the absence of Virgil but with the work we can compensate, and we can find the good relationship between the play and the good solution and other players can do a little more to compensate this absence.

“It is important to keep the good balance of the team in the defence and the attack.

“I saw a good concentration, a good quality on the pitch on the week and I would like to see this on the pitch against Sunderland.

“It is a good place and a good opponent to show other things and to give pleasure and good feeling for the fans and for all the team and to prepare the final with a good spirit and calm because we know we can do good work the week before.”

Saints’ current run of six Premier League defeats in seven has pulled them nearer the drop zone.

Only twice before have the club lost seven in eight in the top flight – under Dave Jones in 1998/99 and Ted Bates back in 1971/72.

That is why Puel is only focussed on the Premier League for now.

“It’s important in our profession to keep them behind us but also to come back in the first part of the table,” he insisted.

“It is important to stay on the reality and our position is not comfortable and to give a good answer for this game. It is an important game for us to see our ambition and to keep us from the other team behind us. This is very important.”