Mark Hughes has challenged Saints’ fringe players to force their way into his Premier League plans when they get their chance at Everton tonight.

Saints travel to Goodison Park for the second time this season when they take on the Toffees in the third round of the League Cup.

A trip to Leicester awaits the winners but just as importantly there are potential places up for grabs in Hughes’ top flight team to face Chelsea on Sunday with the side he has largely stuck by continuing to struggle for results.

He said: “We will make changes.

“We made a number of changes last time out against Brighton and put in a really good performance.

“A number of those players made a claim and pushed themselves more into my thinking and I fully expect a number of the players that will play on Tuesday will do the same.

“It’s up to them to show me they are able to help.

“They are all good players and a lot of them will be disappointed and it’s been a little bit unfair to them and they haven’t done anything wrong but we’ve got a fully fit squad and I can’t pick everybody.

“We have 24 out of the 25 fit and ready to go so somebody has got to miss out but the majority of those players will play on Tuesday and have to show me they are ready to go.”

Hughes made ten changes for the game at Brighton in the previous round, and could make a full 11 this time out.

The likes of Angus Gunn, Maya Yoshida, Jack Stephens, Jan Bednarek, Matt Targett, Oriol Romeu, James Ward-Prowse and Manolo Gabbiadini are among the players expected to get a chance to impress.

When asked whether there are now places in the Premier League side there for the taking, Hughes replied: “I think so.

“Clearly we haven’t won as many games as we wanted to up until this point I would feel.

“If there is an opportunity and there is a feeling that the team can be improved because somebody has shown good endeavour and desire to get back into the team then I will consider that.”