Victor Wanyama is walking a disciplinary tightrope as he attempts to avoid an untimely two game ban.

The combative midfielder has picked up yellow cards in three of Saints’ last four games, leaving him just one caution shy of a two match suspension just as Saints enter the crucial run-in to the end of the season.

Wanyama has three matches in which to avoid another booking if he is to swerve a ban – against Burnley at St Mary’s on Saturday, away to Everton after the international break and the visit of Hull a week later.

If Wanyama can get through those three games without another yellow card then the bar raises to 15 cautions before the end of the season.

But if he adds one more to his collection of nine this season then Saints will be without one of their most influential players for two games.

The good news for Saints is that Wanyama is the only player in any immediate danger.

The only others under any kind of threat are Jose Fonte, Morgan Schneiderlin and Graziano Pelle.

That trio have seven each meaning they would need to collect cautions in all of the next three games to pick up a suspension.

Saints are in midtable in terms of the FA’s disciplinary table, which is based purely on points awarded for yellow and red cards over all domestic competitions in the season.

Ronald Koeman’s men are 11th with 63 bookings and three red cards this campaign.

Sunderland have been the worst offenders while this weekend’s visitors to St Mary’s, Burnley, have been the best behaved with 51 cautions and no reds all season.

The Premier League’s Fair Play table, which is judged by assessors on categories such as positive play and respect towards opponents and referees, has Saints up in fifth place.

Only West Ham, Liverpool, Burnley and Manchester City are ahead of them.