Ronald Koeman insists Saints won’t change their style of play despite being without Graziano Pelle for Tuesday night's League Cup quarter-final.

The big striker, this season’s top scorer, will sit out the game against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane as he serves a one match ban for picking up five yellow cards.

Koeman is likely to draft Shane Long in for a striking role.

The Saints manager also has other selection issues to mull over.

He wants to ensure he fields a strong side but is without injured duo Steven Davis and Jake Hesketh, while he admits Dusan Tadic is not looking fresh.

He is at least hoping to have Morgan Schneiderlin available after injury while James Ward-Prowse could also now be considered for a start after playing for an hour against Burnley.

“If everybody is good in freshness then we don’t make changes but you have to understand from Saturday we have some problems,” said Koeman.

“Steven Davis is not fit, Pelle is suspended, Tadic is in the last few games not 100 per cent fresh and that’s difficult.

“Maybe we can start with Morgan. He’s good but we have to take that decision.

“If it’s the last game of the season we will put in everybody but we have to think about the freshness of the players and we can’t take too much risk in that case but it will be a strong team.”

The focus will inevitably be on how Saints cope without Pelle, but Koeman insists his absence won’t mean a change in style.

“I think we can play the same way,” admitted Koeman.

“I don’t believe if there is not one player then you have to change the system.

“Everybody knows how we play and that’s the best with our qualities, even when Pelle is not in the team.

“It’s always important for the players to know the qualities of the players and I call Shane more of a running player than Graziano who is a little bit more the type of target man in front.

“That’s a difference and we have to talk about that.”

With so many games coming up Koeman is facing a tricky balancing act but has faith in his squad to cope with missing players such as Pelle.

“We know that because he was already some weeks out of one yellow card for suspension.

“It has now happened and we have other strikers to put in that position.

“It’s not up to one player, the squad is strong enough to replace players like Graziano.”

Koeman confirmed that Jake Hesketh has had a scan on the injury that he picked up against Burnley and that he won’t be available for tomorrow night's game as they await the results.

On the fit again Ward-Prowse he added: “He’s back.

“He played more than we prepared (against Burnley) because that was about the injury of Jake but he’s good and recovered his injury and he needs minutes and rhythm of playing and that’s the question but there is no question about his freshness.

“He can start.”