RALPH Hasenhuttl believes his squad can cope with a fifth game in 18 days.

The Austrian stuck with the same starting XI in Saints’ matches at home to Man City and then away to Everton.

And Hasenhuttl believes the St Mary’s side are capable of putting in another lung-busting performance at Manchester United’s Old Trafford on Monday.

“I am looking intensely at the players to see how they are and how they feel,” explained Hasenhuttl.

“It was clear for me that we will have to be fit for this period and this was the message from me in the lockdown.

“I am very impressed with their fitness at the moment and I don’t have the feeling that they are struggling or will have a problem with injuries.

“The rest is taking the best possible team on the pitch because we want to win the next four games we have.

“But that doesn’t mean the other lads won’t get the chance to play because next week it will be more difficult with only two days’ rest between the games.

“This is a short period to recover, so then it’s more likely we will change.

“But on Monday it’s quite possible that we play 100 per cent.”

Hasenhuttl’s promoted youngsters Alexandre Jankewitz, Nathan Tella and Will Ferry to the bench in recent weeks.

Although Jankewitz and Ferry are yet to come on, Saints’ boss said all his players will be given a chance to impress before the season comes on an end later this month.

Professional footballers don’t like being dropped to the bench, especially when they are riding on the crest of a wave.

Asked whether telling one of his players to rest would be a difficult conversation right now, Hasenhuttl responded: “I am using all my time and energy to analyse our games.

“I’m having individual meetings with some players because not everyone is playing at the highest level at the moment and we must develop every player.

“This is what I have to do because if we want to win against Manchester United we need to have 11 players playing at the highest level.”