Claude Puel has reassured Saints supporters that he is taking this seasons League Cup competition very seriously.
Claude Puel has spoken about his intentions for tonights game against Crystal Palace in the EFL Cup or more informally known the League Cup a competition where Saints have threatened to do well in in the past two seasons but fallen short in the quarter finals.
But that will not mean that Puel will not have to make changes from the side that pbeat Swansea City on Sunday, injuries will of course be a factor, but he also knows he has to rotate the squad a little to keep players fit, sharp and focused.
"All the time for me it’s important to win, and to win in different competitions."
"I think it’s very important for the future with all the squad, all the players, to have a good participation."
"It’s important to improve these players, young players also, and to make progress together."
"I say that it’s important to keep an idea to improve all the players, and not just ten or 11 players.
"This for me is very important, and I think it’s not possible to play every three days."
"If we give some time of play for all the players they can improve, they can arrive with a good level and we can see a good squad and not just a team and for the future to answer with all these many games it’s interesting for the future."
"We will see the recovery of the players and the possibilities.
"All the time when I put the papers of the list of the players for many games I see also the recovery for every player and what is better for everyone.”
Puel confirmed that Jay Rodriguez won’t be fit to play after the striker picked up an injury during his goalscoring cameo against Sparta Prague.
"Jay, no. It is a little way off when he will come back. We will see for the other, It is important to keep a good physical for every player, a good energy also to play this game.
"I think, for example, if you start this game (against Swansea) with the same players that played Thursday we would have lost this game because for me it’s not possible.
"We don’t have for the moment the experience to play every three days because it’s a young squad, young players, and they learn together.
"It’s very interesting to play all these competitions with this squad.”
As the game against Sparta Prague showed Puel does have some good cover in certain departments and not so much in others, but overall he does have a squad big enough to make these changes and still be competitive, the trick though is to get the balance right and also to have experienced players on the bench as a fall back option of the game does not go as well as the manager would hope.