Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot has detailed the importance of the EFL Cup ahead of Tuesday's last-eight contest with Charlton Athletic.
The Red Devils have not won a trophy since lifting the Europa League under Jose Mourinho in 2017, but they are fighting on four fronts heading into the final few months of this campaign.
Man United, who have won their last seven matches in all competitions, are currently fourth in the Premier League table, nine points behind leaders Arsenal.
Meanwhile, they progressed to the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 3-1 victory over Everton on Friday.
The Red Devils will be bidding to advance to the semi-finals of the EFL Cup on Tuesday night, and the team will also be in Europa League action next month, taking on Barcelona in a knockout round playoff.
Despite the League Cup being fourth on Man United's list of priorities this season, Dalot has insisted that the competition is important for the club.
"I think it has to be an obsession for us to win trophies, to win things," Dalot said during a fans' press conference on Monday afternoon. "I think you guys feel even more than me, you are here longer than me, that we have to win. This club is about winning trophies.
"It is about competing and fighting in every trophy that we are in. And this Carabao [Cup] is not smaller than a Champions League, than a Europa League. Obviously, it's different dimensions but for us it's a trophy and we want to win it.
"Obviously, to arrive there, to go to Wembley, it's a tough journey. We know, it's difficult. But we want to take these small steps first. And every time we make a step, we want to do it with the certainty that we are moving in the right direction, and I think we are in the right direction but the reality is that we are not there yet.
"But to arrive there, we have to build many things first and I think this competition would a very first big and firm step that we could take, especially because it is the first trophy of the season, and we are close.
"We have to have this type of mentality and face the game tomorrow like it is a Premier League game or the Europa League final or something like this. We have to, as it should [be], and hopefully we can be celebrating in a month or so."
Four of Man United's last five matches in all competitions have been at home, and they now have two more games at Old Trafford, facing Charlton in the EFL Cup and Manchester City in the Premier League, ahead of a trip to Crystal Palace in the league on January 18.
Dalot was absent immediately after the 2022 World Cup due to a hamstring issue that he picked up at the competition, but the Portuguese played the full 90 minutes against Everton on Friday night. body check tags ::
