Claude Puel says Saints can avoid a third defeat in just six days even without lynchpin centre half Virgil van Dijk.

The Dutch defender collected a second yellow card followed by a red in the closing moments of Saints’ 2-1 St Mary’s loss to West Brom, which means he is suspended for today’s trip to Everton.

Saints go to Goodison Park in desperate need of a positive result, but without their best player this season in van Dijk, who has yet to miss a Premier League fixture despite Puel’s rotation policy elsewhere in the team.

Puel said: “I think we have possibilities with Maya (Yoshida) and Jose (Fonte) to play this game.

“I hope Maya can recover after this game (against West Brom) because it’s a particularity to play two days after and this many games but we have to adapt to this situation and to give always the good answer.

“I know it’s difficult after two losses and with these games in a short space but it’s a good thing to see my players and my squad in this situation.

“We can see the quality of the squad and the players with good spirit to stay with a good concentration and always with a positive attitude and it’s a good challenge to see this.”

Saints got one over on former boss Ronald Koeman when the teams met at St Mary’s a month ago, with Charlie Austin scoring in the opening stages for a 1-0 victory.

However, Everton are likely to prove a sterner test on their own turf, while Saints are undoubtedly struggling for confidence after losing to Spurs and West Brom in quick succession.

They also have the battle of less than 48 hours between their fixtures with Everton having played on the Friday night rather than Saturday as Saints did.

“Everton can do two good results away against Leicester and against Hull City,” said Puel of the Toffees.

“They have one day more of recovery and this is always important in this period, just to recover for example West Bromwich have five days between their two games.

“It’s a difficult game but I think all the players can play this game with a rotation sometimes. “It’s not perhaps a good result, not a good solution, but I think we have a good opportunity to make a good result against Everton with rotation and possibility to put on the pitch fresh player.

“Everton has quality, good individual players like Lukaku and Mirallas with the possibility to score and make the difference but it’s important to stay with good concentration of our team and to keep the good spirit.

“I said other times it’s a difficult period but all the team have this period of the season and now we must correct this and give the good answer.”

He added: “The most important is to have the capacity to play quick without thinking about this feeling and to forget this difficult period of two games lost.

“It’s an opportunity and challenge and a game away against any opportunity we can have the good answer, the necessary quality to win a game.

“It will be the true for this game."