RALPH Hasenhuttl has hailed Wolves as “unbelievable” as his Saints side prepares for today’s clash at St Mary’s.

Nuno Esperito Santo’s side will be playing its 39th match of the season today (Saints have played 26).

They progressed to the knockout stage of the Europa League, reached the last 16 of the EFL Cup and were only knocked out of the FA Cup after a replay defeat at Manchester United on Wednesday night.

“Unbelievable, this team,” said Hasenhuttl. “So far they have done a fantastic job in every competition.

“They’ve had to play with nearly the same squad because they have such a small one and what they do is fantastic - and they’re still in the top seven.”

But Wolves have not won in five matches, since beating Manchester City 3-2 at Molineux on December 27.

Asked if playing Wolves three days after their FA Cup replay defeat can help his side, Hasenhuttl continued: “I don’t know if it’s an advantage. They are very, very flexible.

“It’s a very tough opponent, they wait for the right moment to attack and don’t lose a lot of games - they’ve only lost five so far in the Premier League.

“We won last season at home and it will be another difficult and interesting game.”

Saints won last season’s corresponding game in April, thanks to a first-half brace from Nathan Redmond and a second-half Shane Long goal.

Meanwhile, Nuno has told Wolves to be more streetwise or they will be found out in the Premier League.

He said: “We must realise, everyone knows how we play and teams are trying to find new things.

“We have to raise our standards to sustain it and take advantage of the things we have. We try new solutions.

“There are two ways to improve, change - which we will never do - so it’s about the building process.

“We’ve had good performances and bad performances. 

“Watford was not a good performance, Liverpool was a good performance.”

Ruben Vinagre is out with a hamstring injury suffered late on the third-round replay defeat at Old Trafford.

Ryan Giles has been recalled from Shrewsbury to help cover Nuno’s thin squad.

“It’s a massive blow for us. Vinagre is very special for us, he gives us things we need but he is going to be away for a time now,” said Nuno.

“He’s going to have an MRI to see the extent of the injury but for sure he is going to take some time. 

“He felt it after sprinting 70 metres, he felt something in his hamstring.

“Every time we have a player out it’s important. 

“Vinagre gives a lot of things for us to change and operate inside the squad. It’s a big blow.”

Willy Boly, who became a father this week, remains out with a fractured ankle while Diogo Jota (dead leg) is also sidelined.

Wolves have won two of their last three matches at St Mary’s, in the EFL Cup 18 months ago and in the Championship in 2008, but have not won a top-flight match away to Saints since winning 3-0 at The Dell in April 1980.