SAINTS’ prospects of reaching the Carling Cup fourth round have been boosted – after Preston boss Phil Brown said he could field a weakened team tomorrow.

The two in-form sides are set to meet at St Mary’s, with a place in the last 16 at stake.

Saints reclaimed their position at the top of the Championship on Sunday, thanks to a thumping 4-1 victory over Birmingham.

Nigel Adkins’ men have now won six of their first seven league matches – their best ever start to a Football League season – and eight of their first nine in all competitions.

Preston, meanwhile, are enjoying a similarly impressive run themselves.

The Lilywhites have claimed victory in their last six games, and have lost only once all season – a 4-2 home defeat to Colchester on opening day.

But Brown’s League One side will still be heavy underdogs going into tomorrow’s clash.

And the Preston manager revealed after Saturday’s 3-1 win at Brentford that he would be making alterations to his squad, with next weekend’s “big one”

against Tranmere in mind.

However, he has insisted that does not mean he is chucking in the towel on the Carling Cup.

“We will make changes against Southampton, but that won’t mean to say we are going to go there and just throw away the tie,”

said Brown. “We are going to go there and try and win the tie, then the big one’s on Saturday against Tranmere at Deepdale.”

With relegation ending Preston’s 11-year tenure in the second tier last season, achieving promotion back to the Championship is obviously the number one priority this campaign for Brown, who was appointed last January.

The 52-year-old, who had been linked with the Saints job following Alan Pardew’s sacking last year, made wholesale changes for the win over Charlton in the second round of the Carling Cup last week, fielding a host of fringe players.

Just three of the side that started the 4-3 league victory over Yeovil that immediately preceded that game were named in Brown’s eleven last Tuesday.

The Preston boss then made ten changes for the trip to Griffin Park last Saturday, reverting back to what might be termed his ‘league’ team.

Adkins himself has used the Carling Cup as an opportunity to field some of his own fringe players.

But he has resisted completely revamping his lineup for the competition.

For instance, Rickie Lambert has started in the opening two rounds, as has Guly do Prado.

And, for the 3-1 second round victory at Swindon, Adkins fielded a side that also included Adam Lallana, Jack Cork, Dan Harding, Frazer Richardson and Morgan Schneiderlin.