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First Team

Team news: Scott returns for Cherries

Head coach Andoni Iraola names an unchanged starting line-up for AFC Bournemouth’s Premier League clash with Luton Town today.

Iraola keeps faith with the same team which registered a 3-0 win against Manchester United, the Cherries’ first victory at Old Trafford.

Goals from Dom Solanke, Philip Billing and Marcos Senesi saw Iraola and his squad win the LMA Utilita Performance of the Week award.

And goal heroes Solanke and Senesi were joined by frontman Marcus Tavernier in the Premier League’s Team of the Week.

The only change for the visit of the Hatters sees Alex Scott make a welcome return to the substitutes’ bench, the midfielder replacing Gavin Kilkenny.

Scott has been sidelined since sustaining a knee injury during the first half of the Cherries’ defeat at Manchester City at the start of November.

The Cherries will be hoping to maintain their excellent current form against Luton, the visitors promoted after winning the Championship play-off final in May.

It completed a remarkable rise from non-league to the Premier League in ten years, not too dissimilar to the Cherries’ meteoric climb from League Two to the top flight in six years.

Today’s encounter will complete the set for the clubs having met in all four divisions in 17 years, having been the bottom two in League Two 15 years ago this month.

AFC Bournemouth: Neto, Smith, Senesi, Zabarnyi, Kerkez, Christie, Cook, Tavernier, Solanke, Kluivert, Semenyo.

Subs: Mepham, Scott, Rothwell, Billing, Brooks, Ouattara, Sinisterra, Moore, Travers (g/k).

Luton Town: Kaminski, Mengi, Lockyer, Bell, Doughty, Kaboré, Barkley, Sambi Lokonga, Townsend, Adebayo, Brown.

Subs: Andersen, Morris, Mpanzu, Giles, Osho, Chong, Clark, Ogbene, Krul (g/k).

Referee: Simon Hooper.