Cherries boss Eddie Howe has been speaking ahead of his side’s Saturday lunchtime clash with Tottenham.
Quoted by the club’s official website, Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has revealed that crucial midfielder Harry Arter only stands a 50% chance of appearing in his side’s match against Tottenham this weekend.
The Irish international was excellent in last weekend’s thumping win over Hull but picked up an injury against the Tigers and is yet to return to full training.
“We’re going to have to make a very late call on Harry,” Howe told the club’s website. “I’d say he’s 50/50 to make it at this stage.”
In better news for the Cherries faithful, flying winger Max Gradel could be set for a return to the first team having not featured since coming on in the win over Everton in September.
The 28-year-old has been absent with a hamstring strain, but Howe said that the former Leeds man will be “there or thereabouts” this weekend.
The news was less promising for Bournemouth’s other absentees, as the manager explained.
“Brad Smith is still out, he got a really nasty whack on his foot so there’s a lot of bone bruising,” he said. “Lewis Cook has a nasty-looking ankle injury so he’ll be out for a period of time.”
The main worry for Cherries supporters will be the fitness of Arter, whose combative style would come in useful against Mauricio Pochettino’s marauding visitors.
If the midfielder fails to prove his fitness, a first-team return could be in order for Dan Gosling, who came off the bench to fire the final goal in last weekend’s victory.
The hosts go into the match protecting a three-match unbeaten run, and Howe’s side will enter the top half before the 3pm games get underway if they avoid defeat at the Vitality Stadium.
Bournemouth will certainly be hoping to fare better than they did last season against the same opposition, having lost both matches against Tottenham by an aggregate score of 8-1 in 2015-16.
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