Morgan Schneiderlin wants to carry the feel-good factor at Southampton into the international break as Saints continue to fight at the top of the table.

Ronald Koeman’s side have won seven of their last eight Barclays Premier League fixtures and are just four points adrift of unbeaten leaders Chelsea in second spot.

In contrast Leicester, the visitors to St Mary’s this weekend, have dropped into the relegation zone having mustered just one draw from their previous five games.

Schneiderlin, who has starred in the Southampton midfield since becoming unsettled over the course of a summer that saw a host of big names leave the south coast, wants to heap more misery on the Foxes to leave Saints sitting pretty.

“For a few games now there has been a lot of expectation and we responded well,” he told Southampton’s official website.

“We are ready to kick on, we know that after Saturday we are going to have another break, the mood is very good but we know it can change very quickly.

“It is important to us before the international break to have a good result against Leicester so we are able to enjoy our national duties.

“Before whatever break it is important to get a victory, but we want to keep second place and to catch Chelsea.”

 Schneiderlin will be looking to pick up his seventh France cap in a friendly against Albania next Friday but is remaining focused on Leicester for the time being.

“They have some good players, they did very well against Manchester United (a 5-3 win),” he added.

“We need to be on our toes to win the game. Deep inside, we know we have something good to do this season, but we know we have to work hard.”

Victor Wanyama is likely to partner Schneiderlin in midfield on Saturday having scored crucial goals in recent weeks and, with a fully-fit squad to choose from, Koeman is pleased to have a welcome selection headache.

“It’s always a difficult situation,” he said.

“I was a footballer, I understand that kind of problem because that’s difficult for the players, but all of them are acting in a professional way.

“Wanyama has scored two times in 1-0 games. That means a lot. I’m happy about all the midfield players, but sometimes one is a little bit more disappointed as they will not start the game, but that is part of the job.”

 

Video courtesy of Southampton FC's YouTube channel.