Mauricio Pellegrino will recommend to the Saints board that they resist any offers for Virgil van Dijk in January despite dropping him for the 1-0 defeat at Chelsea.

In the aftermath of the humbling against Leicester last week, Pellegrino said he would only pick players who were ‘committed 100 per cent’ to the club.

He made six changes for the trip to Stamford Bridge, including leaving out van Dijk, over whom there is already much speculation with the January transfer window just days away.

However, Pellegrino put his changes down to the rigours of playing three games in the space of a week, rather than purely dropping those he viewed as having a lack of commitment.

“We played three games in six days and it’s really difficult to keep the same condition when from Wednesday night to Saturday it is less than three days to recover and I have enough squad with not too much difference between them,” said Pellegrino.

“Most of them have showed they can compete and this is good thinking about the future.”

When asked whether he could confirm the changes were all down to rotation rather than commitment issues, he replied: “It is one thing in the same hand with other.

“I will repeat that the players are not machines and sometimes they have got ups and downs like you, like me, like everybody in this room. One day we are 100 per cent and then not in the best day.

“For this reason I put fresh people to regenerate the energy in the team and we compete well until the end.

“Physically we were ok, except Ryan who was one of the only players that repeat 90 minutes in three games.”

He added: “Sorry, but I repeat I change Dusan Tadic, I change Sofiane, I change van Dijk, Charlie Austin – a lot of players.

“Wednesday I changed four players.

“Every single game when we have got many games in a row I change players and van Dijk is one of the players.”

Saints went down to a Marcos Alonso free kick in first half stoppage time at Chelsea, but in truth aside from a couple of second half openings for sub Charlie Austin they struggled to make an impact on a Blues side who were far from their best.

The major talking point after the game was Pellegrino’s decision to bench van Dijk, and how it might affect his future, given he was so keen to leave in the summer and a number of suitors are being linked again.

“Obviously Virgil is an important player and always it depends on how they are, the energy they have got in every training session. A lot of things make an important player.

“I will repeat that I can’t control the market and I am not the owner of the player.

“I can have my opinion, and I can give to the technical director and the chairman my opinion, but then after the board can decide all together which is the best for the team.”

Pellegrino made clear his desire for van Dijk to stay at the club as he said: “I will recommend to try and keep our best players here in the club.

“The club was clear at the beginning and I have the same opinion.”