Pochettino positive Southampton can recover

The Argentine has Artur Boruc, Victor Wanyama, Pablo Daniel Osvaldo and Guly do Prado all on the sidelines at St Mary's, with Morgan Schneiderlin, Nathaniel Clyne and Danny Fox all slowly returning from injury.

Those absentees have contributed to Southampton's fall from third in the table in mid-November to ninth at the end of December after one win in their last eight matches.

However, Pochettino believes his side will turn things around and vowed to keep playing with the same attacking mentality.

"I think we've started the season well," he said. "We've been able to establish our style and philosophy.

"We have a young side for one competing in the Premier League, but overall our first half of the season has been a positive one.

"We're much stronger when all our players are fit. We've been hindered by injuries over the last two months.

"Our mentality never changes – we want to win our next game, whoever we're playing against.

"On Wednesday we will be facing one of the best teams in England and Europe in Chelsea, but we want to win.

"When all our players are fit, that'll make us a much stronger group – and then we'll know our potential for 2014."