Bournemouth will make the trip to Villa Park to face Premier League new boys Aston Villa who will be looking to get off the mark after falling to a 3-1 loss to Spurs last weekend.
The Cherries haven’t had the best of starts themselves as they could only manage one point last weekend against Sheffield United in a game in which they were expected to get all 3 points.
Bournemouth team news
Eddie Howe has a number of injury concerns to deal with. Arnaut Danjuma and Lloyd Kelly are out with ankle injuries and will not be available for selection.
While Dan Gosling had undergone surgery on a hip muscle injury and is expected to return in October, David Brooks is also out of action with an ankle injury.
Moreover, Simon Francis, Lewis Cook and Junior Stanislas are also sidelined and it goes without saying that Howe has to choose his starting XI from a relatively depleted squad.
Predicted Bournemouth lineup to face Aston Villa (3-4-2-1)
Defence
Aaron Ramsdale got the nod to start in goal over Asmir Begovic, Artur Boruc and Mark Travers last weekend against the Blades. He did well between the sticks and Howe is seemingly likely to persist with him.
Chris Mepham, Steve Cook and Nathan Ake could be stationed at the back once again. The defensive trio has to be resilient and sharp as the opponents have a wide range of attacking options in their arsenal.
Wing-backs
Diego Rico and Adam Smith are expected to keep their place in the starting lineup. Right from the beginning of the game, both of them have to offer width to their side and also need to be solid while catering to their defensive duties.
Midfield
Jefferson Lerma featured regularly for Howe’s side last season and he is unarguably one of the most prized assets on the books of Bournemouth. He is expected to get the green light to start in central midfield against The Lions.
Summer signing Philip Billing could start as Lerma’s partner in the midfield after having impressed on his debut for his new employers last weekend.
Attack
Callum Wilson smashed 14 goals and also registered 9 assists in 30 league appearances last season. He will be crucial for Bournemouth once again this season and is expected to start up top against Aston Villa.
Ryan Fraser and Joshua King are set to occupy the flanks. Both of them are immensely productive players and they will be tasked with the responsibility of engineering adequate chances for the striker.
