After getting knocked out of the Carabao Cup in midweek against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Southampton are back in Premier League action this weekend with a clash against Watford next up for Ralph Hasenhuttl's side.

Southampton eventually lost 4-3 on penalties against Thomas Tuchel's side after drawing 1-1 in 90 minutes with Kai Havertz and Che Adams scoring.

On the chalkboard

Looking ahead to the match against the Hornets at Vicarage Road, one player that featured in midweek that we feel should be in the starting XI to face Watford is 24-year-old defender Lyanco.

The Brazilian started the match against Chelsea and played the full 90 minutes in which he managed to have 51 touches of the ball, make 10 clearances, two tackles, one interception and block one shot as well as winning 12 out of the 19 duels he was involved in, ultimately earning himself a decent overall match rating of 7.1/10, making him the joint-second highest rated outfield Saints player on the day according to SofaScore.

In addition to this, Lyanco was also named as Hampshire Live's star player of the match and described as 'flawless' for his performance in the second half.

Since joining the south-coast club back in the previous summer transfer window from Italian outfit Torino on a four-year deal, the centre-back, who is currently valued at £4.5m according to Transfermarkt, has made just two appearances for the Saints, both of which coming in the Carabao Cup and playing a total of just 164 minutes.

He has rarely been utilised since his move despite the Saints boss talking up his impact off-the-pitch.

"He needs to learn his English, but he's willing to learn in every area. A very good character and a very settled personality. Very happy to have him here," he said, via the club's official website.

Looking ahead to the Watford match, Hasenhuttl should finally give Lyanco his first taste of Premier League action this weekend, with Jan Bednarek dropping out of the team to freshen things up at the back for Southampton given how they managed to concede two goals against Burnley in their previous league match, to see if this could help the side pick up all three points on Saturday and move further away from the relegation zone.

If Hasenhuttl does decide to start Lyanco against Watford and the Brazilian manages to put in a similar performance against the Hornets as he did against Chelsea, Southampton could have a new defensive star on their hands that could end up being crucial for their season in terms of avoiding relegation.

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