Graziano Pelle and Morgan Schneiderlin will be walking a disciplinary tightrope as Saints head into a vital run of fixtures.

The star striker and lynchpin midfielder have both amassed four bookings so far this season.

It leaves them both just one further yellow card away from an automatic suspension.

In the Premier League the threshold only rises to ten yellow cards for a one game ban at the end of the calendar year.

That means Pelle and Schneiderlin will have to avoid another caution in the next eight games if they are to make the cut off.

Though both players would be sorely missed by Saints should they end up getting banned, there is at least obvious replacements for Schneiderlin without having to change a style of play which has been so successful.

Ronald Koeman could easily pair Jack Cork and Victor Wanyama together in the centre of midfield, or even consider a reshuffle in dropping back Steven Davis.

However, if Pelle, the club’s top scorer, was missing it would cause more issues.

Saints could play Shane Long through the middle, which he is more than capable of doing, but that would mean a change of style.

Pelle is a big target man while Long is happier playing on the shoulder of the last defender and getting in behind.

The only other viable option is to throw in Emmanuel Mayuka for a start.

Koeman has named the Zambian regularly amongst his subs but has given him just one fleeting appearance from the bench this season, and that for ten minutes when Saints were already 7-0 up at home to Sunderland.

Thankfully for Saints it is only Pelle and Schneiderlin who are in immediate danger of getting banned.

The only other players to have received more than one booking this season are Nathaniel Clyne, Jose Fonte and Matt Targett, but they are still fairly safe with only two apiece.

The upcoming run of fixtures is likely to be a real test of the Saints squad, who have been so brilliant this season.

If they beat Sheffield United in the Capital One Cup quarter-final and progress through just one round of the FA Cup they will play 16 games between next Monday’s match away to Aston Villa and January 24.

Whatever the situation they know they know that Villa marks the start of 11 games in just 42 days, an average of one every 3.8 days, which is sure to stretch the squad as injuries and possibly suspensions mount up.

They also know though that if they come through it still riding high in the Premier League table then they have every chance of making this a season to remember for years to come.