WENGER: NO OLD PALS’ ACT FOR PUEL

CLAUDE PUEL famously thought nothing of thundering into Arsene Wenger when he was a player training under the Frenchman at Monaco. Almost three decades on they collide again as managers with a cup semi-final at stake. It is an interesting sub-plot of tonight’s EFL Cup quarter-final between Southampton and Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium that Puel finds himself in this position partially because of Wenger’s advice. Wenger mused yesterday on that fact in sizing up the next hurdle in Arsenal’s path, as well as the strengths that have seen the hard-hitting force of his Monaco midfield graduate into a seasoned manager. ‘I spoke with him before he joined Southampton,’ Wenger said. ‘After he signed, we became competitors and it’s different. But before he signed, I gave him my impression of the Southampton team. ‘We talk, of course, but not before the game. I followed his career and was always ready to talk when he needed me. ‘But now he has experience in this job and he has done very well at Southampton.’ Wenger’s aim is to win this competition, for which Arsenal are second favourites, though he confirmed he will be using fringe elements of his squad tonight. Mathieu Debuchy (hamstring) and Olivier Giroud (groin) definitely miss the game.

ARSENAL (4-2-3-1, probable): Martinez; Jenkinson, Gabriel, Holding, Gibbs; Elneny, Ramsey; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Iwobi, Reine-Adelaide; Lucas.

SOUTHAMPTON (4-3-3): Forster; Martina, Van Dijk, Yoshida, McQueen; Ward-Prowse, Romeu, Clasie; Boufal, Rodriguez, Sims.