Ronald Koeman has ruled out introducing a rotation policy as Saints prepare for two games in just three days.

Saints travel to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace on Boxing Day, just one clear day ahead of taking on Premier League leaders Chelsea at St Mary’s.

It is a gruelling schedule and though Koeman has conceded it may be impossible to name an unchanged side for the two fixtures, he will field his strongest team against Palace and assess the state of his squad the day after before thinking about Chelsea.

He said: “In my mind is to prepare well for the Friday game.

“I don’t think to the second, the Chelsea game, no, because I don’t believe in that.

“I can’t do in one time two games. I need to prepare myself and the players for the Friday game “I will put out the most strong team and it will be all about the physical state of the players.

“Maybe I can’t start with the same 11 Friday and Sunday, maybe, but then we will see on Saturday what happens.”

Saints are boosted by the return of Morgan Schneiderlin, Victor Wanyama and Florin Gardos from suspension, as Jose Fonte misses out at Palace after collecting his fifth booking of the season.

Dusan Tadic could be involved in some capacity after training again with the first team following a minor injury.

“Dusan had some physical problems. He had some days off and he had some therapies and he looks normal, what he was before, and he was OK in the morning session and we have two days more of training,” said Koeman.

“I am happy that we will have players back after the last weekend because Victor will be coming back, Morgan will be coming back, Tadic did a normal training session.

“That is more possibilities, more players, and that’s good for the programme we have.”

Koeman will also have to decide whether to abandon the three centre halves formation he adopted in the 3-0 win over Everton due to the one game ban for Fonte.

“First of all we have to prepare the team for the way Crystal Palace play and we will do that and we have to see if everybody is available and then we have to make that choice,” he admitted.

“Normally my favourite system is 4-3-3, but maybe we keep going like that system, maybe we will change to what we had before. I don’t know.”

Also up for debate will be whether to keep Harrison Reed in the side or drop him back to the bench with senior stars Schneiderlin and Wanyama available again.

Koeman smiled: “I like to have those kind of choices and to make that kind of choice because that means everybody is available and we will put out the best team for Friday.”

It is certainly an unusual Christmas for Koeman, who has generally enjoyed a winter break during his playing and management career. However, his family is coming over from Holland for the festive period with one of his sons even sitting in on yesterday’s pre-match press conference.

He laughed: “Only the fact they have to come to Southampton but my kids like very much football, one is behind here in the auditorium but they are so lucky to see Southampton v Chelsea and Southampton v Arsenal.

“Everybody in Holland likes to come to see those matches.”