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EFL Cup final: Why Claude Puel's Southampton will need a plan B at Wembley

Manager and defender: Puel and Yoshida
Manager and defender: Puel and Yoshida

Arsenal couldn’t beat them. Liverpool couldn’t beat them with two attempts.

Southampton’s charge to the EFL Cup final under Claude Puel has been quite spectacular, particularly given their rocky start to the season.

Puel came in, charged with following the leads of Mauricio Pochettino (now at Spurs) and Ronald Koeman (now of Everton).

It was no mean feat, especially given the continued sales at the club – Sadio Mane, Victor Wanyama and Graziano Pelle the latest to give up St Mary’s for Liverpool or Tottenham (or China, in Pelle’s case).

After just three Premier League wins before November, it looked like the Saints’ revolving-door policy was finally going to cost them.

Yet Puel stumbled across the perfect formula for Southampton, and it hinged on a solid defence.

Step up Virgil van Dijk. The highly-rated former Celtic defender proved to be the cornerstone of Puel’s side which have gone on to book their Wembley ticket for Sunday.

[READ MORE: Why Wayne Rooney should bow out after the EFL Cup final]

Van Dijk, alongside Maya Yoshida and Ryan Bertrand, saw the south coast side through tough tests away at Arsenal and then a two-legged Liverpool semi-final.

And they have conceded no goals in their entire cup run.

[READ MORE: Antoine Griezmann will ‘definitely’ join Man Utd]

With two Premier League giants already knocked out by Puel’s men, Manchester United await in the final. It would not have been a simple test with their strongest side available.

But van Dijk is unavailable and Jose Fonte, who played in previous rounds, is now at West Ham.

[READ MORE: Southampton’s route to the EFL Cup final]

It means youngster Jack Stephens will likely partner Yoshida at centre-back, and they will have to manage an opposing strike-force featuring Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Wayne Rooney.

Stephens has made a decent fist of it since coming in – helping Southampton beat Liverpool at Anfield – but the Saints have suffered another rocky patch in form since he has been filling in.

That’s not to say it’s entirely his fault, but on Sunday, Southampton cannot afford to leave their weakened defence vulnerable to a star-studded line up of attacking talent.

There is a bright side however, and that is the January acquisition of Manolo Gabbiadini. One of the month’s longer-running transfer sagas ended in a £14m purchase of the Napoli forward.

In two games for the club, he’s scored three goals. And it’s that firepower which Puel will need to find a way to exploit.

United’s defence is no stranger to a defensive lapse or two, despite being among the best back lines in the league this season.

If Southampton are set to lift their first trophy since 1976, Puel must find a way to limit the damage caused to their own back line by van Dijk’s injury.