Bournemouth will look to capitalise on their midweek victory and carry the momentum into their fixture against Chelsea today. The Cherries registered a morale-boosting 3:0 win against MK Dons in the Carabao Cup and will hope that win can revitalize a baffled squadron this weekend.
Chelsea, on the other hand, will have their sights on the top spot, knowing a win could potentially land them with a chance of moving to the top should both Tottenham and Liverpool fail to win their matches. They also stand a chance if they can register a massive victory against the Cherries. But, will they be able to do it?
Here’s the probable Bournemouth lineup to face the Blues this weekend.
Bournemouth – Team news
Eddie Howe will be boosted by the availability of some of their star players with both Jefferson Lerma and Diego Rico making their debuts in the win over MK Dons. Thus, both of them are available for selection this weekend along with Adam Smith, who has served his suspension and is now free to play again.
On the flip side, however, the likes of Mark Pugh and Junior Stanislas will be out with their respective injuries while Lys Mousset is also unlikely to play after twisting his ankle during the EFL Cup fixture in midweek.
Predicted Bournemouth Lineup
Defence
Asmir Begovic will be starting in goal for the Cherries this weekend. The Bournemouth keeper will be keen on impressing against his former club with a solid performance.
We could expect a plethora of changes being made by Eddie Howe in defence, from that side that registered a win over MK Dons. Adam Smith, after serving his suspension in midweek, will return to the right-back position with Charlie Daniels, replacing Diego Rico on the opposite flank.
The duo of Steve Cook and Nathan Ake will also retain their places in central defence after missing out on the midweek action.
Midfield
Lewis Cook has barely featured this season and is unlikely to be risked in such a crunch encounter, meaning Andrew Surman will once again be deployed as the central midfielder along with new signing Jefferson Lerma. It will be interesting to see how the Colombian fares in arguably the most competitive league in the world.
Jordan Ibe might keep his place in the side after scoring a goal against MK Dons with Ryan Fraser starting on the opposite flank.
Attack
The Bournemouth attack will be led by the duo of Callum Wilson and Joshua King. The duo was quite convincing in the game against Everton last weekend and the coach will be hoping for a similar output this time around.
