Team News: Bournemouth

Vladimir Ivić expects to name a similar squad for this weekend’s meeting with Bournemouth to the one that overcame Blackburn Rovers last night.

The Head Coach was able to welcome Ismaïla Sarr, Étienne Capoue and Stipe Perica back into the matchday 18 yesterday, with only the latter not getting onto the pitch during the course of the evening.

“I believe we will have the same squad [against Bournemouth],” said Ivić, speaking to the press this afternoon. “From the players who were out of the previous game, maybe there will be one extra player who can be in the squad for the next game, but I want to keep this [information] for myself.”

Whatever the make-up of the squad, the Serbian knows he now has a growing list of options to choose from across the pitch, but particularly in the midfield area.

“I believe that game by game we’ll be stronger in this part of our squad because of the players who are coming now from a period of injury,” said the Serbian.

“We have quality players like Chalobah, Cleverley and young Garner. We also have Capoue, who has come in now and is a quality player, but after a long period out every next game will be important for him to take confidence and come into the level where he can help us. Yesterday he helped us when he came in the game and his quality is not in question, we just need to be careful with how many times he plays in the next games and to return him to his level as fast as possible.

“Will Hughes is another player we are waiting for. We know his quality and he’s shown me day by day his potential. I’m really disappointed with Tom Dele-Bashiru’s injury, it was unlucky because he had started fantastically. Domingos Quina can play in the middle but also in other positions like on the wing, and I think in this middle part of the pitch we are complete.”

With three consecutive two-game weeks prior to the next international break, Ivić will be drawing upon the depth of his squad as he seeks to ensure he selects the freshest team possible for each fixture.

“With this rhythm of games we don’t have a first 11, all of them are first 11 for me,” he said.

“When you play so many games in three weeks you need to use all of them and you need to rest some of them, because it’s very important now to find the balance.

“You don’t want to push someone who is on the limit and afterwards stay without him for a period. I prefer to have a player who will be 100 per cent ready and fresh, rather than put in a player who is tired and take a risk with him. This is my philosophy. I will use all of them and they know it.”