Southampton travel to Arsenal on Wednesday night looking to book their place in the last four of the League Cup.

The Saints have beaten Premier League outfits Crystal Palace and Sunderland en route to the quarter-finals, and haven’t conceded a goal in the competition thus far.

Claude Puel’s men are also going into this one off the back of a 1-0 win over former manager Ronald Koeman’s Everton, which was their first victory in the league since October 16.

Despite a frustrating run of results, it’s still been an encouraging start to the campaign under new manager Puel, who replaced Koeman in the summer.

They are tenth in the Premier League having won four and drawn five of their opening 13 games, and only leaders Chelsea and Tottenham have conceded fewer goals than the Saints so far.

Southampton are also well placed to qualify for the last 32 of the Europa League, with victories over Sparta Prague and Inter Milan helping them to second place in Group K, and with the knowledge that victory over Hapoel Be’er Sheva in their final match will secure them a place in the knockout stages.

Nonetheless, their attentions turn to the Emirates on Wednesday as the Saints go in search of their first ever League Cup title.

With Puel’s men battling on both domestic and European stages, the Frenchman is likely to make changes to his starting line-up, so here are THREE players who deserve a chance on Wednesday…

Sofiane Boufal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIkTzuhxbvk

He scored a stunning goal which proved to be the winner in the last round, and Sofiant Boufal, if passed fit, deserves a chance against Arsenal on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old cost the Saints a club record £21 million in the summer, but a few niggling injuries has restricted him to just seven appearances this season, only two of which have been starts.

However, the Moroccan international proved his quality with a fantastic 25-yard strike to see off Sunderland in the last round, and with Puel’s men battling on domestic and European fronts this season, squad rotation is vital in keeping everybody fit and fresh for all games.

Boufal missed the Everton game due to a slight knock, but if he’s available for selection at the Emirates, he should get a chance to add to his League Cup tally.

Sam McQueen

Sam McQueen was thrust into Premier League action as a 14th minute substitute for Matt Targett against Burnley last month, but he showed to be more than capable of playing at the highest level.

The 21-year-old was outstanding down the left-hand-side, and proved to be as adept going forward as he was defensively. As a result, more appearances have followed, including starts against Inter Milan and Manchester City, and McQueen is now an important member of the squad.

Although McQueen has seamlessly slotted into the first team when called upon, more minutes on the pitch is going to hugely benefit the youngster, be it at left-back or in his more preferred position on the wing.

Josh Sims

A man-of-the-match performance against Everton at the weekend from a little-known 19-year-old has given everyone on the South Coast a huge buzz.

Josh Sims was outstanding against the Toffees on Sunday in what was his senior debut, providing the assist for Charlie Austin’s goal just 43 seconds into the contest.

However, it was his whole performance which got Saints fans excited, with his pace, control, and maturity his particular strengths.

While he’s on a high, Puel should give him another opportunity to shine on the big stage, and there aren’t many bigger in England than the Emirates.