[Mhiz Rebecca]

Manchester United will be favourites when
they take on Southampton in Sunday’s 2017
EFL Cup final at Wembley Stadium, England.
However, a United squad stretched by injuries
and a hectic schedule should be wary of a
Southampton side that’s already eliminated
big clubs in this tournament.
Among those injuries, Michael Carrick and
Henrikh Mkhitaryan were withdrawn from the
club’s 1-0 win over Saint-Etienne in the UEFA
Europa League on Thursday. Mourinho didn’t
definitively rule the pair out of the final, but
he did indicate replacements are ready to
play if needed.
The Saints knocked out Premier League sides
Arsenal and Liverpool en route to the final.
Yet Southampton manager Claude Puel has
injury concerns of his own to deal with before
Wembley.
Southampton’s own injury absentees include
Charlie Austin, Virgil van Dijk, Alex McCarthy
and Matt Targett. Sofiane Boufal is also a
doubt.
On the surface, an in-form United against a
Southampton side mired in mid-table in the
Premier League should be a foregone
conclusion. However, there’s enough about the
Saints’ own capability to believe this will be a
fiercely contested final.
The Saints have not conceded a single goal so
far in the tournament – 450 minutes that has
seen them travel to Arsenal and Liverpool and
keep a clean sheet, and against a side noted
for its wastefulness in front of goal, it bodes
well.
The match kicks off 5:30 p.m. Nigerian time.