Former United striker Louis Saha has said that the club would miss the pair of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Michael Carrick ahead of their EFL Cup final clash with Southampton.

Manchester United enjoyed a narrow win over St Etienne but they left with the two players in doubt for the final on Sunday as they limped from the pitch.
Whilst he believes that the team would be able to survive the absence of the players, he adds that the team would surely miss their impact.

“It will definitely make a difference because they are two important players in terms of getting the right balance between attack and defense. But United show they are still very capable of finding solutions and the actual strength of the team is balance, it’s a really balanced team now,” Saha said ahead of the duel.

Saha says he hopes that both stars would be okay before the final to help Coach Jose Mourinho guarantee his first title at Old Trafford.

Mourinho himself said that Marouane Fellaini and Bastian Schweinsteiger might get a chance to play in the absence of the duo.

For the opponents, a major blow is not having defensive leg and skipper Virgil van Dijk. Coach Claude Puel would have to do his magic to get the backline in shape for the match. Cedric Soares would be an important player for the Saints even though his compatriot Jose Fonte has exited the side. He would have to contend with a fast Anthony Martial whilst hoping the team is not fazed with Mourinho’s record in finals.

The Saints are not in a solid form, having won just one of their last four games unlike their rivals who have been defeated once since November. With the Premier League a pipe dream, Mourinho’s men would want to seal the title win, making it difficult for Southampton who have not won any title since 1978.