Eddie Howe has spoken out on his plans for the upcoming pre-season, the two newly signed contracts, Gordon’s Euro glory, Tonali’s arrival and offered an update on the injury front (Watch in full below).
Some of our players are yet to return to training due to national team commitments – Bruno, Joelinton, Schar and Botman are yet to return – but the boss reiterated how ‘crucial’ it is for them to have a ‘mental reset’ after such an intense season.
Gordon in particular excelled with the England youth team winning player of the tournament, but Howe was not surprised to see him shine in a central role, hailing his versatility; something he expects to be crucial over the coming season.
On Tonali, the boss is excited about the ‘wealth of pedigree’ that the Italian will be bringing to the squad, feeling he’ll add high-level experience, quality and added competition to our midfield.
In terms of injuries, Pope won’t be returning just yet following surgery in May, Willock (hamstring) is close to a full return, Longstaff was back in action today and Krafth (ACL), who’s been missing since August, won’t feature in pre-season.
Finally, Howe was clear on how ‘important’ it was to get both Dummett and Karius to sign short-term deals, hailing the German’s improvement and professionalism along with Dummett’s influence behind the scenes. Watch the full interview below:
