Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has confirmed that two of his players are back in training and are in contention to play against Newcastle United on Sunday.
After the thrills of the Champions League on Thursday, the focus returns to the Premier League, where Eddie Howe returns to his old stomping ground with the hope that he can secure the Magpies’ second win of the season.
Newcastle United travel to Bournemouth on Sunday afternoon, with over 2,000 Geordies set to be in attendance at the Vitality Stadium. It was a tough break for Newcastle against Barcelona earlier in the week, but there were still a lot of positives to take from the game.
Howe will be without Fabian Schar, who will miss the next few games due to concussion protocol. Elsewhere, Anthony Gordon remains suspended in the Premier League for his red card against Liverpool in August.
In the meantime, Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has confirmed that two of his important players are in contention to play against the Magpies on Sunday.
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Bournemouth set to welcome back two key players ahead of Newcastle United clash
Howe has never beaten Bournemouth away from home, so it will no doubt be an incredibly tough task for the Toon boss at his old stomping ground.
Fans will also be interested to see what Howe’s starting XI is for the game, especially given it has only been three days since the gruelling clash against Barcelona. Some fans expect Malick Thiaw to make his full debut, while Harvey Barnes could be replaced by someone else on the left wing.
In the meantime, Iraola has confirmed that Ryan Christie and summer signing Bafode Diakate have both returned to training following injuries earlier this season.
“We will recover Ryan Christie, he is training well with no problems,” he said.
“Bafo is also training, I wouldn’t say 100%, but I also expect him to be available for the game.
“Enes Unal and Adam Smith are still out.”
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Andoni Iraola has high praise for Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe
It is always an emotional day for Howe when he returns to his former club. In truth, Bournemouth may not be where they are today without Howe’s remarkable work to get them from League Two up to the Premier League.
It has been around five years since he left Bournemouth, but his legacy still lives on. However, his focus will be on securing the three points Newcastle are so desperately seeking and giving the travelling fans something to cheer about.
In the same press conference, Iraola was asked about his relationship with Howe, revealing it is one he cherishes.
“I am not with Eddie as many times as I would like. We don’t have a lot of chances during the season. He’s a great manager.
“I think he has done an incredible job for Newcastle every single season since he took the team in a difficult position. They finished strong. Champions League. Another great season.
“Champions League again. I think he’s doing really well. But we have to face him twice a year and we know it’s not easy. All the games. I think they have been quite physical, chances for both teams and we know it’s not going to be the easiest of the games.”
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