AFC Bournemouth V Everton at Vitality Stadium : Match Preview

23 September 2016 13:34
AFC Bournemouth V Everton - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game live.


Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe considers options for Everton game

Manager Eddie Howe said there are a "couple of injury issues" ahead of Bournemouth's Premier League game against Everton on Saturday.

Midfielder Dan Gosling will be hoping to be in the team after scoring in the Cherries' 3-2 defeat to Preston in the EFL Cup on Tuesday, as he is yet to start in the league this season.

The Bournemouth boss is expected to field a different side to the one which faced the Sky Bet Championship outfit after making a number of changes for the cup game.

Howe said: "Dan showed a terrific attitude and one huge positive to come from the game was his performance.

"He was energetic, showed good technical quality and scored a good goal. He kept running throughout the 120 minutes.

"He never slowed for a second, so I thought he was very impressive."

Gosling, who joined the Cherries on a free transfer from Newcastle in the summer of 2014, started 28 of Bournemouth's 38 games in their first season in the Premier League and came on as a substitute in a further six.

"He would recognise there is a real battle for places and he had a huge role for us last season," Howe added.

"He's a very dependable character, a very good personality and a very positive person. He has been excellent since he's been out of the team in terms of his mindset."

Meanwhile, Romelu Lukaku is set to return for Everton.



The striker, who has scored four goals in his last two games, missed Tuesday night's EFL Cup defeat by Norwich with a toe injury.



James McCarthy and Darron Gibson (both groin) are making good progress and should be back within two to three weeks but Muhamed Besic (knee) is a long-term absentee.

In-form Everton will look to equal their best start to a season since the Second World War when they travel to the Vitality Stadium to take on Bournemouth on Saturday.



Victory would make it five wins and one draw from the first six league matches, matching their opening to the 1969/70 campaign but captain Phil Jagielka is not getting carried away.

He told evertontv: "It's been a while since we've enjoyed looking at the league table but we are not looking at other people's results yet. We need to keep going, keep grinding out the wins.

"If we have a look at the table 10 to 12 games in, that will give a rough idea of how everyone's starts have gone. We are only five games in - a good five games - but if we don't do well between now and Christmas then the start doesn't count for anything."






Source: PAR