Mark Hughes: "We have to prepare as if Chelsea are going to be at their best"

Southampton manager Mark Hughes has insisted that his side must expect Chelsea boss Antonio Conte to put out a strong team on Saturday.

The Saints will welcome the London side to St Mary's Stadium with the hosts needing three points to climb out of the relegation zone.

With Champions League qualification unlikely, Conte could prioritise their FA Cup semi-final against Hughes's side later in the month, but the Southampton boss is expecting Saturday's clash to be just as tough.

"Their priorities prior to the season involved Premier League and Champions League titles, clearly those have fallen by the wayside," Hughes told reporters.

"Their focus on the Premier League? I don't know. Recent results suggest maybe the focus has diminished but top teams have certain focus on them that demand they play to a certain level. If they have a poor period more often than not top teams bounce back so we're not working towards the weekend thinking that Chelsea are going to be under par.

"We have to prepare as if Chelsea are going to be at their best, with their best players available. The very next game is the most important because that's clearly the situation we're in. We're not looking too far ahead because we can't. Our sole focus is about going up against a good Chelsea team who will test us."

The two sides will meet again for the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on April 22.