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Southampton's Claude Puel targets EFL Cup win against Crystal Palace

Southampton boss Claude Puel wants to progress in the EFL Cup despite the strain it will put on his squad.

Saints kick-started their season last week with victory in the Europa League over Sparta Prague before registering Puel's maiden Premier League success against Swansea on Sunday.

And the Frenchman wants to make it three wins in a row, and stay in another competition, when Crystal Palace arrive on the South Coast on Wednesday night.

"All the time for me it's important to win, and to win in different competitions, because I think it is very important for the future," he said. "All the squad, all the players can have some participation, to improve the young players and also to make progress.

"It's important to keep the idea to improve all the players, not just 10 or 11. It's not possible to play three games in a week so if we give some time to all the players who can improve and arrive with this group then we can see a good squad, not just for today, but for the future.

"If we'd started Sunday with the same players on Thursday we would have lost the game. We have a squad of young players and they can learn together, so it's very interesting to play all these competitions with this squad."

Charlie Austin was frustrated to start on the bench against the Swans after scoring twice against Sparta -- although he came on to hit the winner -- but Puel insists his players are buying into the rotation policy.

"I think now my players understand the philosophy and the possibilities to change because we can keep good results, good solutions, good football and to win all the games in all the competitions," he added. "It's very important for the squad to play many games. It's hard but a very good challenge for all the squad. We have different players who can do good work."