SAINTS head coach Tonda Eckert outlined how the international break will afford many players the chance to refresh their minds ahead of a hectic Championship run-in.
The vast majority of Southampton’s squad will remain at Staplewood during this month’s international window, with only six senior players called up.
Finn Azaz, Ryan Manning and Shea Charles have key World Cup qualification play-offs, while those not called up will be given a chance to rest.
Saints have played 27 times in the last 120 days, an average of a game every four and a half days, and have eight games in a month to close out the season.
Eckert is happy with Southampton’s current condition and stressed the importance of balancing the physical and mental load over the next two weeks.
“I think that sometimes less is more. There are so many games coming up now over the next two months,” he explained.
“It obviously looks a little bit different for the boys who go on international duty, but for the other ones, we try to find a good balance.
“It’s not to make that a punishment or anything, but just to respect that you also need some mental freshness.
“I think physically we’re on a good level at the moment, and we are able to put an idea onto the pitch even with not so much preparation.
“Sometimes it’s easier if you are mentally fresh rather than having an additional day on the training pitch.
“So it’s not necessarily an additional day off, but I think they have a good balance at the moment of days off and days where we come into work.”
Saints are not in action again until their FA Cup quarter-final tie against Arsenal on Saturday, April 4.
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