Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has warned it is time to stop dreaming and face the reality that the Saints squad needs more experienced depth if the club wants to move to the next level.
Having sat top of the Premier League in November, Southampton saw their progress falter on the back of a deepening injury crisis.
Spanish midfielder Oriol Romeu has been ruled out for the rest of the campaign after suffering a fractured ankle in the 3-0 defeat at Leeds on Tuesday night, while on-loan Liverpool forward Takumi Minamino is another not available for Monday night's trip to Everton after he picked up a hamstring problem at Elland Road.