Ronald Koeman says Saints are already dreaming ahead of facing Premier League leaders Chelsea, but has reminded the club that ‘ifs’ count for nothing.

Saints have lifted themselves back up to fourth place in the table ahead of the visit of Jose Mourinho’s league leaders to St Mary’s on Sunday.

It is a remarkable position for Saints to find themselves in as they approach the halfway point of the season.

Koeman was asked whether victory over Chelsea would allow Saints to dream as to just where they might finish this campaign. The Saints manager said he already was to a certain extent, but that you get nothing for wondering.

“It will be ‘if’ but ‘if’ don’t count in football. It don’t count in life,” he insisted.

“We are a little bit dreaming because we are in a good position in the league now.

“We had a difficult time after some defeats and we are winning back now two games in a row and that’s important, game by game and to do our best and to do what we like to do which is playing football, and to play attractive, offensive football and go for it.

“That means in every game, that’s not because our opponent is called Chelsea or Man City.”

Koeman has gone with three at the back for the last two games and it has worked a treat as Saints have recorded victories over Everton and Crystal Palace.

Some teams have tried to change their system or style of play in a bid to contain Mourinho’s men, but that is not something Koeman will be trying.

“We go for it, that’s football,” he said defiantly. “If you don’t go for it stay home.

“I believe in our way of playing and not to change system or players, no.

“We try to do it on our way.”

Koeman will be boosted by the return of captain Jose Fonte, who sat out the win over his former club Palace serving a one game ban.

However, Ryan Bertrand, one of the goalscorers at Selhurst Park who is on loan from Chelsea, is ineligible to face his parent club.

Saints though are getting players back at the right time and Koeman is confident that he can change things around if he needs to.

“We know our programme, it’s tough, and we need all the players,” he said.

“You can’t play with 11 players for two games in 48 hours and you have to make some changes and we have that kind of players that we can change the team and we keep the quality.”