Southampton boss Mark Hughes is eyeing up rare back-to-back Premier League wins to set the tone for the remainder of the season.

Brighton are the visitors to St Mary's on Monday evening, with the hosts looking to build on their 2-0 victory at Crystal Palace before the international break.

The triumph at Selhurst Park was the first in the league this season for Saints, who avoided relegation by three points last term.

Now Hughes is aiming for another three points as Southampton attempt to secure successive league wins for the first time since April 2017.

"We are looking forward to it," he said of the clash with Brighton.

"We haven't had too many occasions where we have had back-to-back results in the Premier League, it has been quite some time.

"We have got the opportunity to do that, when you have an away win you want to obviously capitalise on that with your home game following that and it gives you the best opportunity to get back-to-back wins."

Providing other results go their way, victory over the Seagulls could leave Southampton in the top 10, a position Hughes is keen to secure come the end of the campaign.

"Back-to-back wins in the Premier League pushes you up the league," he added.

"If we can win that game against Brighton – which we without a doubt have the ability to do – then that will hopefully put us in a position in the top half of the table and it will be our aim to stay there for the rest of the season."

While summer recruit Danny Ings is likely to start on Monday, Hughes has concerns over two of his other forwards.

Neither Charlie Austin or Shane Long have trained all week due to hamstring and toe complaints respectively, but Hughes remains hopeful the pair will be available to feature against Brighton.

"I have got a variation in terms of what I can do given the opposition we are facing," he said of his attacking options.

"We have got a little concern over Shane and Charlie actually leading into the game as they haven't trained this week.

"We are hoping we are going to get them back for Saturday or Sunday to give us the options we want but at the moment they are not back training with the group."

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