Puel not fussed by cup final revenge for Southampton

Southampton manager Claude Puel insists revenge is the last thing on the Saints’ minds ahead of their EFL Cup final re-match with Manchester United.

The Red Devils won 3-2 at Wembley earlier in the season to lift their first major trophy under Jose Mourinho and sit sixth in the Premier League.

Mourinho insists all his focus is on winning the Europa League but Puel is expecting the Portuguese manager to name a strong starting XI on Wednesday night.

“They can make some rotation and many changes every game,” Puel said.

“For example, against us, I think we will see on the pitch the likes of Pogba, Herrera, Mkhitaryan, Rashford and all these great players, because they recover the last game and, with their squad, they can put on the pitch fantastic players.

(Photo by Kieran Galvin/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

“We’re going to play against a strong team, this is for sure.

“It’s not a case of revenge, because it’s been a long time now and it’s important to stay focused just about this game.

“Manchester (United) play every three days, and for us it’s the same thing in these last games.

“It’s important to stay in a good way, with a good opportunity to enjoy our football and to make happy our fans. This is the most important thing.”