Saints boss Gordon Strachan says he will remind his players before tomorrow's Premiership clash with Bolton that a red card would leave them suspended for the FA Cup final.

Tomorrow is the final day that a sending off would force a Saints player to be banned for the final against Arsenal.

The referee is Phil Dowd and the statistics bode well - in the four Saints matches he has taken charge of so far this season he has brandished just five yellow cards.

Strachan said: "I'd like to think the referee wouldn't be so unsympathetic unless one of my players studded somebody in the face.

"I hope he'd give me a call and take him off and I would.

"I will mention it to the players but it doesn't help them in their thinking at all."

Strachan again reiterated his decision not to risk any player carrying a knock which could rule them out of the final.

After leaving Paul Telfer out last week, he may be forced to drop Claus Lundekvam who is rated as only 50-50 for the match after taking a kick on his ankle.

"We cannot risk anybody," said Strachan. "My duty to the club is to make sure we finish as far up the league as possible but when we play in the cup final we go out there and win the game.

"But it's like the situation with Paul Telfer last week who had a slight hamstring strain. If it was a relegation battle I'd play him. If we were going for the title I'd play him. But in the middle of the table I won't.

"If I had cover for his position I could have played him but Doddsy's out injured. So we have to play Garry Monk at right back and he's our fourth choice for that position and I don't want to play him in the cup final because that's not fair on the team - he's been on loan all season, but our squad is that bare.

"Everybody wants us to be in our best shape for the cup final."

Speaking of Bolton he added: "They'll be quite relaxed now as they're one of the form teams in the league and coming back from 2-0 down against Arsenal takes some doing. Two goals down you though 'that's it finished' but they must be feeling pretty good about themselves."

Newcastle United today dismissed tabloid speculation they are preparing a £10m bid for James Beattie. "It's rubbish," said a club spokesman.