Ralph Hasenhuttl is facing a centre half dilemma as he considers whether to field a ninth different combination in just 17 games in a bid to shore up Saints’ leaky backline.

The new Saints boss is spending the week putting his team through their paces to try and get a positive result against Arsenal at St Mary’s on Sunday.

The Austrian knows that will be a tough ask but is demanding no let-up from the squad, who are being worked hard at Staplewood in an effort to quickly get them to embrace his high intensity style of football.

But even if they can do that Saints still need to cut out the individual errors that have cost them dearly this season, particularly in defence.

Jannik Vestergaard’s slip-up at Cardiff which led to their winner was the latest in a string of mistakes from the club’s centre half department.

That is the area of the squad in which Saints probably have the most strength in depth, with five established international footballers all vying to play, and yet that competition has not resulted in improved performances as traditional logic would have it.

A lack of consistency in selection could also be partly to blame.

There have been a remarkable eight different combinations of central defenders used over 16 Premier League games so far this season.

Saints have fielded three different variations of centre halves when playing three at the back, and five different pairings with a back four.

The chopping and changing has not led to Saints being more frugal though with only Burnley and bottom of the table Fulham having conceded more than their 30 goal total so far this season.

Vestergaard and Wesley Hoedt have been the most used pairing with five games together. They kept one clean sheet and conceded nine goals in that time.

Jack Stephens and Hoedt played together four times, keeping two clean sheets and leaking eight goals.

The only other combination to be used more than once is Maya Yoshida and Hoedt, who started together twice, letting in four goals.

There are more combinations available for Hasenhuttl to try, but he is attempting to start things with a clean slate.

Jan Bednarek immediately came into the team to face Cardiff despite having only started one previous top flight match during the season.

The Polish defender is most likely to keep his place with the question then being which one or two central defenders will play alongside him.

It will be a difficult task for whoever it is on Sunday with Arsenal the second highest scorers in the Premier League.

Their total of 35 goals scored is only bettered by Manchester City, who have scored an incredible 45 goals already.