Yoshida: We have to put Cup loss behind us

Cape Town - Southampton defender Maya Yoshida has urged his teammates to put the EFL Cup disappointment behind them and refocus on the Premier League.

The Saints suffered a painful 3-2 defeat to Manchester United in the English Football League Cup final on Saturday, where a brace from Zlatan Ibrahimovic dashed their dream of lifting some silverware.

Yoshida admits that the defeat was difficult to accept, but now wants Southampton to look ahead and focus on the upcoming Premier League clash with Watford.

"We have no time to cry anymore, so just head up and move on to get back on track," said the Japanese centre-back, according to the Daily Echo.

"We tried to accomplish something in the final, there was a lot of heartbreak, but still we have massive confidence about ourselves.

"Of course it’s painful but we have to move on because we have another important competition in the Premier League.

"It’s not easy, but we have to [go on]," he added.

"We lost but we shouldn’t move on as a loser, we have to be still like warriors and show our character."

The Saints will have a chance to bounce back from their EFL Cup disappointment when they travel Vicarage Road Stadium to face Watford in an English Premiership clash.

Kick off is at 17:00.