Eddie Howe unsure about whether to involve Lewis Grabban against former team
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has yet to decide whether to unleash striker Lewis Grabban against his old club Norwich at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.
The 28-year-old rejoined the Cherries in an B#8million deal earlier this week, having left in June 2014, and came off the bench during the second half of the 3-1 home defeat by West Ham on Tuesday night.
Given the player's lack of first-team football this season - having fallen out of favour at Carrow Road after being unable to move during the last transfer window - Grabban may have to wait for a chance to show Norwich manager Alex Neil what he can do against players he was training with just last week.
Howe said: "It goes without saying we like Lewis a lot, from his previous spell here, he knows what we want and we know him, that is really important when you have a short period of the season left.
"He has not had a lot of football in the past few months, so that plays a part in our thinking, how match fit is he? So we will make a decision on that.
"I don't think any player has to pull me to say they are desperate to start, because that is a given with anyone in my squad."
Howe is confident Bournemouth's new signings are made of the right stuff to help keep the club in the Barclays Premier League.
The Cherries have been busy in the January transfer window. As well as Grabban, they have recruited Roma forward Juan Iturbe on loan and paid a record B#12million fee for Benik Afobe.
"It is early days, but all three of our new players are really good characters," Howe said at a press conference.
"Lewis knows us from having worked with us before, so there are no issues with him, he can acclimatise very quickly because he knows the majority of the players anyway.
"Benik is a good character and young player again, so there is no problem with him fitting in.
"Juan has been popular within the group, although doesn't speak the language let, but always has a smile on his face, so all the new players have fitted in very well off the pitch."
Bournemouth are 16th, a place and two points below Norwich.
"A win would be really important for us. Our home form has been patchy so we want to start a consistent run," said Howe, who could be without midfielder Matt Ritchie because of a dead leg.
"We know the importance of the games in this month, all we can do is give our best to achieve what we want to."
Meanwhile, Neil rejected suggestions Norwich were closing in on a deal for Utrecht striker Sebastien Haller ahead of the clash.
The agent of highly-rated 21-year-old French striker Haller said there had been a visit to the club's Norfolk training base earlier this week, with reports of a B#6.5million fee having been agreed.
However, there are other interested parties across Europe, and Neil also has other targets on his radar including Steven Naismith from Everton.
"You said his name, I am not saying his name," Neil replied when asked directly about interest in Haller at a press conference ahead of the trip to Bournemouth.
"But yes, obviously we are trying to reinvest the money (from the sale of Lewis Grabban) and have a whole host of targets we are trying to attract to the club.
"We have already done a bit of business, (Ivo) Pinto has come in, Matt Jarvis (on a permanent deal after a loan spell) as well, and Ben Godfrey (from York) is another we are trying to get across the line."
Neil confirmed he had no firm updates regarding either Gary Hooper, whose loan deal at Sheffield Wednesday will soon expire, or fellow forward Kyle Lafferty, said to be on Leeds' wanted list.
Norwich will be without midfielder Gary O'Neil on Saturday after he was sent off for a reckless challenge at Stoke in midweek, a match his team went on to lose 3-1.
"Gary has made an error, he has apologised, there is no point harping on about it, so as far as we are concerned, it is done," said Neil, who has no fresh injury worries but will give full-back Pinto more time to settle after his move from Dinamo Zagreb.
Norwich could put more distance between themselves and the relegation places with victory at the Vitality Stadium, which is where Neil took charge of his first match last January.
"Both clubs are in a situation where a win would be important, so we are going to attack the game," the Scot said.
Source: PAR
