RALPH Hasenhuttl insists he will not use the final few games of the season just to give different players a chance in his team, stating: “The best XI should play.” Saints look set to comfortably avoid being dragged into any sort of relegation battle, particularly following Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Arsenal. Asked if the next few weeks could be an opportunity to give younger players in his squad some game-time now Saints are safe from the drop,
Ralph Hasenhuttl responded: “I think it is visible that this season we are not speaking about ‘now we are safe’. I think that is the first time since I am here, we are not saying ‘okay, now we are safe, so that’s it’. This season we try to focus on higher targets and this is what we said. We are in this middle part of the table. It is very tight, every club now has the chance in the last six games to climb positions or to lose positions. This is the goal now. There is no time for looking for who can get the chance now. I think there should be a very clear message for everybody that the best XI should play and the players that deserve the most to play should get the chance to play.”
Just four points currently separate Leicester City in ninth and Aston Villa down in 15th. And Hasenhuttl has no fresh injury concerns to worry about ahead of the trip to Turf Moor.
Ralph Hasenhuttl confirmed: “So far, no big issues injury-wise. It gives me at the moment a lot of options for team selection. Not always easy, but better this part we can change a few things and we will see what we do.”
