Saints winger Eljero Elia hopes to be fit for Saturday’s “must-win” game against West Brom, after battling with injury this week.

The Dutch international hurt his leg after going over on his ankle towards the end of last Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to Liverpool.

He has been receiving treatment this week and did not train yesterday, but was hoping to be back among his teammates at Staplewood this morning, ahead of Saturday’s trip to West Brom.

Elia, who is optimistic of being involved, said: “It was my leg. [Yesterday] I didn’t train and on my free day (Tuesday) I was also at the club, so I hope [today] I train again.”

With Saints slipping to fifth in the table last weekend, and having won just one of their last four league games, the 28-year-old insists they have to turn things around when they visit The Hawthorns.

“We have to win,” he said. “We have to win this game if we want to stay in the run for Champions League, or for European cup.

“We have to win this game. We don’t care how we’re going to win this game – we have to win this game.”

While the defeat to Liverpool was a deflating result, extending Saints’ winless streak at St Mary’s to five matches, there is every reason for Ronald Koeman’s side to feel confident this weekend.

Their form away from home has been exceptional recently, with their last five on the road all ending in victory.

So, although Elia admitted the players felt “terrible” the day after the controversial defeat to Liverpool, he explained they are heading into the showdown with West Brom in a great frame of mind.

“We have to continue, we have to stay positive,” he said.

“We know that we are the better team on the pitch [against Liverpool], and when everything was with us then we had 100 per cent one penalty.

“They were effective and they scored two times, but the first goal what they make, that was individual class from [Philippe] Coutinho – it was a very nice goal – but we make the game, we make the pressure and we push them.

“I can say a lot of things about the referee, but we have to look at our own game and we did that, and the trainer was positive about our game, and we have to continue.”

One thing Saints do need to improve is their goalscoring, having registered just one strike in their last four matches.

Elia takes heart from the fact they have still created opportunities in those games and believes when one goal does arrive that it will spark others.

“We create chances to score every game, so it has to change,” he said.

“The chances come and I say always when we score one goal then the second will come and the space is going to be bigger, then we get more chances.”

Log on to dailyecho.co.uk this afternoon to get all the latest injury news ahead of West Brom from Ronald Koeman’s pre-match press conference.