Southampton goalkeeper James McCarthy has urged his teammates to embrace the pressure of Saturday's clash with Stoke City.

It is a huge six-pointer at St.Mary's, with Southampton only one point above the 19th-placed Potters.

"The next game against Stoke has a lot of pressure involved. It's very tight from the middle of the table down to the bottom," he said.

"Being a game at home it's one we have to win. The games are running out now, so we need to be picking up as many points as possible.

"We know we've got a tough job on our hands, but with the squad we've got here I know we'll have enough to get out of it.

"It's a massive game, everybody knows that and hopefully we get three points.

"Every game that we have between now and the end of the season, every game is going to be in the spotlight."