Eddie Howe has been speaking to the media this morning, offering an update on injuries and availability ahead of tomorrow night’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at Arsenal.
Here’s what the boss had to say, featuring updates on Sven Botman, Anthony Gordon, Nick Pope, Emil Krafth and two key players set to miss out through suspension.
Botman, Gordon and two suspended
Sven Botman felt “a bit of fatigue” after Saturday’s 2-1 win over Spurs, meaning Howe will speak to the player and medical staff to determine whether he’ll be in a position to start again at Arsenal.
Howe said: “He feels good. Naturally a little bit of fatigue at the end of the game. It was a long absence but he’s trained for a long, long time for this moment. From the Aston Villa game onwards he has been cleared to play but we wanted to give him longer to try and reach his best physical levels. He was straight into action and did very well…really pleased with him.
“It’s a combination, we have to speak to the player, the medical team, the experts. They’ll give me some of the answers to what we do with him next. But he’s a competitor. He is hugely driven for the team and himself. So I’ve no doubts what he will say but, as I say, we need to speak to other people and make the right decision.”
As for Anthony Gordon, he was in pain after a “nasty cut” on his nose following a clash with Dejan Kulusevski, but it sounds like he’ll be OK for tomorrow.
Two players who will be absent, however, are Bruno Guimaraes and Fabian Schar, as both are banned after picking up yellows in our quarter-final win over Brentford last month.
On Bruno’s absence, Howe added: “It’s a big blow. One of Bruno’s biggest strengths is that he is always there for you. His appearance record has been brilliant for us, especially when you consider the physical exertion he commits to us. He’s going to be a big miss. We have big players who can fill his shoes.”
Pope and Krafth updates
Howe revealed that Nick Pope is “doing well” in his recovery from a knee issue and on track to return “6 weeks from suffering the injury”, meaning he could be back for our home clash with Bournemouth next Saturday.
As for Emil Krafth, he looks set to miss out once again as he continues to edge his way back from a collar bone issue, with contact training needed before the Swede is available for selection.
Elsewhere, Callum Wilson (hamstring) remains out, with Jamaal Lascelles also sidelined as he continues to recover from an ACL injury suffered last season.
