Claude Puel will not be swayed from fielding a young side to face Norwich tonight despite Saints’ recent poor form.

Saints host the Canaries in an FA Cup third round replay after being held to a 2-2 draw at Carrow Road.

Saints have lost their last four Premier League matches, drawn with Norwich and beaten Liverpool in the EFL Cup semi-final first leg since Christmas.

Puel could do with some good news this evening, with a win securing a home tie with Arsenal in the fourth round, but with a big double header at home to Leicester in the league and away to Liverpool in the semi-final second leg just on the horizon, he will brave making changes again.

That will likely see Sam McQueen, Jack Stephens, Harrison Reed and Josh Sims given a chance to start against Norwich tonight, while some more experienced players will get a rest.

Puel said: “Normally it will be a mix.

“It is important to continue the work, to improve with these young players and also to put around them experienced players to maintain a good level with emotion, with the physical and with the quality.

“For all this game in January it is important also to have this rotation.

“Of course, we want to qualify. This is important for all the squad and to continue this work.

“It is just a moment with other competitions other than the Premier League. For the moment in this game we know a good win, a good thing, is important to continue this work and to give different players time to improve.

“This is important for Southampton and after of course a good result will be a good thing for the squad in this moment.

“We will see if there will be another game.”

Saints were left frustrated that they didn’t get the job done first time at Norwich, and allowed Steven Naismith the chance to head home in stoppage time to give them yet another game in January.

Puel does not want to see the same mistakes again tonight.

“Norwich was another disappointment at the final,” he reflected.

“It was a game with good control – control of the ball, control of the game – with a lot of opportunities and it was the same.

“Many games where we are unlucky, but many games are the same without opportunities for the opponent and just in the final 30 seconds we took a goal, a second goal.

“It was a shame because we controlled the game and the ball, and now it’s important to finish this work at home in front of our fans and to give a good answer and a good result.”