Manchester United v Southampton: EFL Cup final preview

The game kicks off at 1630 GMT at Wembley Stadium, live on Sky Sports 1.

Manchester United v Southampton: Our prediction

2pts Southampton (+1) to beat Man United (90 minutes) at 11/10 (Stan James) - plenty of time to prepare and can rise to the occasion

1pt Eric Bailly to be shown a card at 7/2 (32Red) - physical defender well capable of a rash moment or two up against a nippy front line 

It is over 40 years since Bobby Stokes fired Southampton to FA Cup glory against Manchester United and the Red Devils now have a chance for some Wembley revenge in Sunday’s EFL Cup final.

Jose Mourinho’s side are riding a five-match winning streak across three competitions and are 2/5 to give the Portuguese a second piece of silverware with the club this season along with the Comminity Shield – it is 4/5 they can do it without the need for additional time.

It has been a typically busy spell at this time of year for United and Mourinho has tackled it head on in a positive fashion to keep battling away on four fronts.

He had hoped to rest up some of the big guns last week at Blackburn in the FA Cup but Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s services were required from the bench with 30 minutes left while both started in the second leg of the Europa League game against St Etienne on Thursday despite taking a 3-0 advantage to France.

The tactics for both matches paid off without the need for an annoying replay or extra time but you can expect them to be in there from the off this time with a trophy potentially just 90 minutes away.

Two star names though who seem unlikely to be available are a much-improved Henrikh Mkhitaryan and midfield veteran Michael Carrick after both came off with injuries in midweek so Mourinho faces another shuffle around.

United unquestionably have the depth in terms of cover but the Armenian has been a key figure since the turn of the year and his incisive ability to get on the front foot from midfield is a huge miss with the far more pedestrian Marouane Fellaini likely to step in.

Ander Herrera is available again after suspension while Wayne Rooney might also figure depending on how a leg muscle issue shapes up as Mourinho weighs up all possible options.

All the above is a roundabout way of trying to assess whether a degree of fatigue could creep in and lead to a flat display – something that the Saints will feel they are in a prime position to step in and take advantage of.

While United have been scrapping away, their rivals have had a fortnight on the easy list with no game since drubbing Sunderland 4-0 on Wearside in the Premier League.

Southampton’s first season under Claude Puel has been full of inconsistency with displays at times ranging from fantastic to abject but the run to this final has been extremely noteworthy with four top-flight rivals all ousted and no goals conceded. 

The win at Sunderland was exactly what the doctor ordered too after a three-match losing skid and I don’t doubt for a moment they can be a worthy foe for Manchester United on the day. 

The current side is packed with experienced players who have lifted silverware playing for previous teams while two weeks for Puel and his staff to put an effective game-plan in place is more than ample even up against such an illustrious opponent under the full glare of the bright lights. 

The middle of the park invariably tends to be key and they have industry with the excellent Steven Davis and Oriel Romeu, quality from the vastly under-rated Dusan Tadic and James Ward-Prowse while the arrival of Manolo Gabbiadini has already delivered an additional cutting edge in front of goal.

Detractors may point to the important loss of Virgil van Dijk (injury) and Jose Fonte (transfer) from the heart of defence but Maya Yoshida and Jack Stephens have really grasped the opportunity in front of imposing goalkeeper Fraser Forster. 

I get the impression this is a team that has prepared exceptionally well and is ready to rise up rather than freeze for the club’s most important one-off occasion in a generation. 

I like them getting a one-goal start on the handicap in what will probably be pretty low-scoring affair while a slightly more speculative bet for the encounter is on Eric Bailly to be shown a card.

I was hoping the physical Ivorian would perhaps keep his light under a bushel a bit longer but two yellows against St Etienne scuppered that and he is unlikely to keep the copybook clean here either up against Southampton’s fleet-footed collection of attackers in a match which could go the distance.

Prediction: Manchester United 1-1 Southampton 

Manchester United v Southampton: Team news

Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick are available for Sunday's EFL Cup final against Southampton, but Henrikh Mkhitaryan will be absent for Manchester United.

United captain Rooney missed the midweek Europa League trip to St Etienne as he returned to fitness, but has been confirmed as part of the squad heading to Wembley.

Midfielder Carrick has overcome a calf complaint sustained in France but Mkhitaryan's hamstring injury means he is out. 

Phil Jones is a doubt due to a foot issue, but Ander Herrera returns to the fold after serving a ban in the Europa League match.

Martin Caceres and Sofiane Boufal are hoping to be included in the Southampton squad.

Uruguay defender Caceres could be handed a Wembley debut following his recent move to Saints as a free agent, while club record signing Boufal is battling to be fit after an ankle injury.

Virgil van Dijk, Charlie Austin, Alex McCarthy, Matt Targett and Jeremy Pied all miss out through injury. 

Teams:

Man United (from): De Gea, O'Hara, Romero, Henderson, Darmian, Shaw, Bailly, Blind, Jones, Fosu-Mensah, Rojo, Smalling, Valencia, Young, Herrera, Carrick, Fellaini, Mata, Pogba, Lingard, Schweinsteiger, Ibrahimovic, Martial, Rashford, Rooney.

Southampton (from):  Forster, Taylor, Bertrand, Yoshida, Caceres, Gardos, Cedric, Hesketh, Romeu, Clasie, Ward-Prowse, Isgrove, Tadic, Redmond, Boufal, Lewis, Stephens, Hojbjerg, McQueen, Sims, Rodriguez, Gabbiadini, Long. 

Manchester United v Southampton: Manager quotes

Jose Mourinho (Man United)

On Wayne Rooney: "I think he did in the right moment - in the best moment - his declaration, his statement.

"I told you I think in the last press conference that the questions you were asking me were questions for him - only he could answer the questions.

"He did it in exactly the right moment because I think your question is the last question about Wayne Rooney, and I think it should be the last until the end of the season.

"He says no way he moves, he stays, he wants to help the team to fight for the trophies. I told you already that I would be happy if that is the decision.

"So, yes, he is fine, he is training with the team. He was not selected for St Etienne because he was not ready to play, but he was ready to have one more important training session.

"And no doubt he is involved for the game." 

On injury doubts Carrick, Mkhitaryan and Jones: "Michael (is) available. 

"Clever, experienced, he left the pitch in the right moment so Michael is available.

"Mkhitaryan is out and Jones, let's see and decide tomorrow." 

On becoming the first United manager to win silverware in his first season if victorious on Sunday: "First of all, you are right with 'if', 'if' and 'if' is a big thing in football.

"But I think it is more important the club than myself and I have so many good things in my career that I wouldn't be influenced by a little detail.

"The important thing is the club and obviously the club won a trophy last season. Let's try to win another one this season.

"Plus the quality and dimension of our football is very important and I realised that by the fans' reaction, their happiness is very important, their empathy with the way the team plays.

"So it will be good for the group, it will be good for the club. It will also be good for me, obviously.

"At the beginning of my career I was looking more towards myself and towards my personal achievements, if you can say that.

"I am in a period when I am more and more and more a club man."

Claude Puel (Southampton)

On Martin Caceres: "I was surprised by his good physical fitness, because he can come on the training camp with a good level, good quality.

"He worked hard on his fitness during his injury, and I don't know if he can participate at the beginning of this game but he can give good opportunities and solutions."

On Sofiane Boufal: "We will see on Saturday with Boufal.

"He came back with the team yesterday and we will see if he will be fit for this game." 

On the EFL Cup final: "Of course it's important for us and it's important for Manchester also.

"It's been a very good journey and interesting to see the philosophy of the club.

"It's a good moment for the fans and I hope we can give them pleasure and joy at this match.

"I know the last time Southampton can win a cup was in 1976 against Manchester. It's a long time and it would be fantastic to take a good result.

"I think it's important and I can understand of course all the good atmosphere around the team and the fans. But it's important for us to keep focused and with a good concentration about the game and not what happens after the game.

"We have to keep the good attitude and good spirit." 

Manchester United v Southampton: Opta facts

Southampton have reached their second League Cup Final, having previously done so in 1979 when they lost 3-2 to Nottingham Forest under the management of Lawrie McMenemy. 

This will be Manchester United’s ninth League Cup final appearance; of the previous eight, they have won four and lost four, but three of those four victories have been in their last three finals (2006 v Wigan, 2009 v Spurs and 2010 v Aston Villa). 

Only Liverpool (12) have appeared in more League Cup finals than Man Utd (9) and only Arsenal (5) have lost more finals than the Red Devils (4). 

Southampton are just the second side in League Cup history to reach the final without conceding a goal – Tottenham Hotspur managed this feat in 1981-82, but lost the final 3-1 to Liverpool. 

This is the second time these sides have met in the final of a competition, having met in the 1976 FA Cup Final. Southampton, then a second tier side, defeated United 1-0 thanks to a Bobby Stokes goal; it remains the only time they have won a major English trophy. 

Jose Mourinho has reached the League Cup final three times previously (2005, 2007 and 2015), winning the trophy each time with Chelsea. Indeed, he has the best 100% win percentage for a manager in League Cup finals.

Only Brian Clough (4) and Alex Ferguson (4) have won the League Cup more times than Jose Mourinho (3). 

Mourinho has never lost an English domestic cup final in his career, also winning the FA Cup in 2007. 

Claude Puel has only reached a major domestic cup final once before in his managerial career, taking Monaco to the final of the French League Cup in 2001, where they lost 2-1 in extra-time to Lyon. 

This is Saints’ first appearance at Wembley since winning the Football League Trophy in March 2010 against Carlisle. 

Southampton will be the third team that Manchester United have played in both an FA Cup and League final, following Aston Villa and Liverpool.

No player has assisted more goals in the League Cup this season than Henrikh Mkhitaryan (3). 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored four goals in the four domestic cup finals he played with Paris St-Germain (excluding Super Cups), netting a brace in the 2015 Coupe de la Ligue final against Bastia, and another brace in the 2016 Coupe de France final against Marseille.  

Manchester United v Southampton: Sky Bet odds

Manchester United are Sky Bet’s 2/5 favourites to lift the EFL Cup trophy, with Southampton the 15/8 outsiders. Jose Mourinho’s men are 3/4 to secure success within 90 minutes as the Saints are given a 19/5 chance, while the stalemate and extra-time is priced at 5/2. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the 7/2 favourite in the first goalscorer betting while Manolo Gabbiadini is a 13/2 chance to net first and enhanced from 5/1 to 9/1 to net in a Southampton victory.  

The EFL Cup final is this Sunday’s selected Fantasy Six-a-Side fixture, with £5,000 up for grabs for the highest scoring team. Pick your line-up for free here!   

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