Ronald Koeman doesn’t expect any surprises when Saints face Stoke for the second time in a matter of days.

Saints got the better of the Potters in the Premier League encounter, beating them 1-0 at St Mary’s on Saturday, but face them again tomorrow night at the Britannia Stadium for a place in the quarter-finals of the Capital One Cup.

Koeman doesn’t expect Stoke to change things too much, despite suffering a defeat at the weekend, while he insists his side will continue to play football in the style which has taken them to second in the league.

“I don’t think [Stoke will play that differently] – in football you know everything of each other and there are no surprises,” reckoned Koeman.

“We have our way of playing. The way of playing of Stoke is different.

“Now we know it’s a tough opponent and we have to work hard.

“In the first half on Saturday we showed our qualities and we were the best team on the pitch.

“But if you don’t score the second one and you create a lot of opportunities then you know until the last second it is 1-0 and it is very difficult.

“They fought for the draw and we fought to win the game and we deserved the win.”

Koeman has been keen to play his first team during the Capital One Cup up until now, having targeted the trophy as a winnable one for Saints.

There have been those speculating as to whether that philosophy may change given Saints’ rampant league form and the possibilities that has opened up, but Koeman insists he doesn’t have the squad depth to make wholesale changes.

“We will speak to the players and we will prepare ourselves in the best way because we like to win something,” he said.

“Maybe if there are some injuries or physical problems then we have to change.

“Normally what we did in the first three or four games in the League Cup we changed maximum three or four positions.

“We don’t have that quality to change eight or nine positions because the group is not like the big teams in England.

“I don’t like that because I like rotation, but not to change everybody.”