Puel should give these 3 Southampton players a chance against Burnley

Maya Yoshida

With Jose Fonte having handed in a transfer request, and unlikely to play again for a while, Maya Yoshida should continue deputising at centre-back.

And, based on his excellent display against Liverpool on Wednesday, the Japanese star could be the perfect replacement for the departing captain.

The 28-year-old was superb alongside Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the Saints defence, with both men able to keep the likes of Daniel Sturridge and Roberto Firmino quiet throughout the 90 minutes.

Puel has decisions to make about his team selection over the coming weeks, but one thing he must try and do is develop the centre-back partnership of Yoshida and van Dijk, as that could be their best one for the remainder of the season.