Eddie Howe has revealed that Sean Longstaff, Joe Willock and Javier Manquillo all missed our 1-1 draw with Chelsea after missing training this week.
All three are doubts for tonight’s final Summer Series clash with Brighton – which will feature a completely new XI – while Fabian Schar will be rested due to a ‘tight’ hamstring. Howe is hopeful he’s not pulled a muscle after he was forced off early and has given the Swiss defender a ‘few days rest.’
Willock is still recovering from a ‘long term hamstring injury’ suffered at the end of last season, while Longstaff has a ‘niggling injury’ that Howe wants to sort before he’s fully reintroduced.
With two games in three days, the boss has also revealed that he’ll pick an entirely new 11 when we face Brighton at 12.30am in the early hours of Saturday morning, meaning rests for Dubravka, Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn, Joelinton, Tonali, L. Miley, Almiron, Isak and Gordon.
This should mean the likes of Jamaal Lascelles, Harrison Ashby, Matt Targett, Bruno Guimaraes, Elliot Anderson, Matt Ritchie, Jacob Murphy, Harvey Barnes and Callum Wilson return for tonight’s game.
Here’s what the boss has had to say ahead of the game at New York’s Red Bull Arena:
Howe on Longstaff, Willock and Manquillo:
“I don’t think they (Willock and Longstaff) are far (away from returning). They are very different injuries.
“Joe has had a long term hamstring injury, so we have to be careful we introduce him at the right time, so we are building him up slowly.
“With Sean, he’s had a niggling injury and we don’t want that niggle to continue, so we have to introduce him when he’s ready.
“Javier Manquillo isn’t training with us at the moment. I think that’s about it.”
Howe on Fabian Schar:
“We certainly hope not. He said it felt tight, rather than a pull. But we hope that, after a few days rest, he should be ok.”
Howe on rotating for our final Summer Series game:
“We tried to protect a couple at the end (of the Chelsea game), but with the quick turnaround we didn’t want the players to go again. So those players will rest and we’ll put out a totally different 11.”
