Following their superb 4-0 win over Chelsea at the Vitality Stadium last month, Bournemouth have suffered losses against Cardiff City and Liverpool in the Premier League.
The Cherries have been inconsistent this season but what will infuriate Howe is that they have been responsible for their own undoing on a number of occasions.
At the moment, they are placed 11th in the standings with 33 points to their name from 26 games and are scheduled to host Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday in their next league fixture.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s men have been prolific this season and Bournemouth have to be at the top of their game in order to make sure Wolves don’t return a happy bunch.
Bournemouth Team News
Eddie Howe has some of his key players unavailable. Callum Wilson and David Brooks are out until March owing to their respective knee and ankle injury.
Lewis Cook and Simon Francis remain long-term absentees. However, Junior Stanislas might feature after having missed the last game against Liverpool.
PREDICTED BOURNEMOUTH LINEUP VS WOLVES (4-4-1-1)
Defence
Steve Cook and Nathan Ake have forged a decent partnership in central defence and there is no reason why Howe should tinker with the duo’s place.
In 26 league appearances, Ake has scored 3 goals. Besides, he averages 1.4 tackles and 6.2 clearances per game and he will have a big role to play this weekend.
Nathaniel Clyne is expected to replace Adam Smith at right-back, whereas Diego Rico could get the nod to start from left-back once again.
We expect Artur Boruc to start in goal. The competition between him and Asmir Begovic has brought the best out of the two custodians and that is a healthy sign for the club.
Midfield
Jefferson Lerma and Andrew Surman deserve to get the nod to start in central midfield. They are more than capable of stifling the opposition play in midfield but will be up against an in-form Joao Moutinho.
Lerma has played a prominent role this season, particularly in terms of his defensive contributions. After 20 league outings, he averages 1.4 tackles, 2 interceptions and 2.5 clearances per game.
Ryan Fraser could start on the left flank while Jordan Ibe could get the nod to start on the opposite wing against Espirito Santo’s troops.
Attack
In the absence of Wilson, Dominic Solanke should lead the line. He will be eager to prosper at his new club after an underwhelming time at Anfield and Saturday presents him with an ideal opportunity to get on the scoresheet.
Meanwhile, Joshua King might start as the secondary striker. He has scored 8 goals and registered 3 assists in the league and could be a handy asset for Howe’s side once again.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored
