After winning their first Premier League match of the season on Saturday, Southampton’s attention immediately turns to Tuesday evening’s Carabao Cup clash against Fulham.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men won 2-0 away at Brighton and Hove Albion at the weekend and will be keen to carry forward their momentum as they travel to Craven Cottage in the second round of the League Cup in midweek.
Saints are likely to heavily rotate their side to not only provide crucial first-team players with a chance to rest but also to hand fringe players opportunities to stake their claims ahead of further involvement in Premier League fixtures.
Fulham’s priority this season will undoubtedly be securing promotion back to the Premier League after suffering relegation last term. As such, Scott Parker may be tempted to give the likes of Aleksandar Mitrovic, Tom Cairney and Anthony Knockaert rests.
Nevertheless, on the back of a 2-1 home defeat to Nottingham Forest in the Championship on Saturday, a win over an established Premier League club in the cup would undoubtedly do the Whites’ morale some good.
Southampton will be the favourites heading into the game, though, as they attempt to string some wins together in the opening exchanges of the season.
Here are five players who could get chances to shine, and will need to impress Hasenhuttl, at Craven Cottage.
Stuart Armstrong
Armstrong has had a positive couple of substitute appearances in the past fortnight, but he now needs to stake a claim for a starting place under Hasenhuttl.
He netted two goals in Southampton’s 3-2 loss at Craven Cottage in the Premier League last season, and on Tuesday night, he’ll be determined to make an impact.
Sofiane Boufal
Just who will feature in Hasenhuttl’s attacking setup against Manchester United in the next Premier League game is a mystery. Moussa Djenepo has staked the biggest claim for a starting berth, but Boufal has also done more than enough to turn the manager’s head.
Perhaps he will start at Fulham. It would provide him with a golden opportunity to wreak havoc amongst an already-shaky back-line as he aims to boost his chances of playing a crucial role for Southampton this season.
Maya Yoshida
Yoshida appears to be behind Jan Bednarek, and somewhat bizarrely, Jannik Vestergaard in the pecking order of central defenders. With rotation on the cards, however, he is likely to start at Fulham.
The experienced centre-back has been a steady player for Saints in the past few seasons, and I’m sure no-one would have any qualms about him becoming a regular fixture in the starting line-up. If he is to return and cement his place in Hasenhuttl’s plans, though, he will need to shine when the chances fall his way.
Michael Obafemi
Obafemi appears to be ahead of Shane Long in the pecking order, having featured on the bench in each of Southampton’s three games so far. Hasenhuttl obviously rates the 19-year-old highly, and there will be few better chances to play him than on Tuesday night.
The youngster will be itching to gain yet more valuable first-team minutes as he looks to capitalise on the profligacy of Southampton’s more senior strikers in the Premier League so far. Obafemi has a big future ahead of him, and he’d certainly benefit from opening his account for the season against Fulham.
Cedric Soares
It was a surprise to see Kevin Danso selected ahead of Cedric at left-back for the Brighton game, with Ryan Bertrand sidelined. The Portugal international had operated on his less-favoured flank in pre-season and seemed to have emerged as a utility man for Hasenhuttl this term.
However, having not yet featured this season, it would be little surprise to see him start against Fulham in the cup. Cedric has patiently waited for his chance, and given that Yan Valery hasn’t had the easiest of starts to the campaign, competition for the starting berth at right-back is fierce.