AFC Bournemouth
Eddie Howe has confirmed that David Brooks, Dan Gosling and Dominic Solanke will all miss the Cherries’ final game of the season against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
The trio were absent from the matchday squad for last weekend’s victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
“David Brooks will miss out,” the boss said in his pre-match press conference. “Dan Gosling and Dom Solanke are also missing. Those lads who missed out last week won’t make it for this weekend.”
Young Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Mark Travers could retain his spot between the sticks, following his recent impressive debut against Spurs.
Howe also confirmed that Asmir Begovic has will not be involved in the Cherries’ squad for the trip to Selhurst Park.
Howe added: “We decided to play Mark at the weekend and we were delighted with his performance. He’s a very level-headed lad so we haven’t really had to say too much to him this week.
“The decision was made to rest Asmir, and he’s now been given some time off to spend with his family. There’s nothing more to it then that really. He’s a top professional and is still very much our player.”
One man who is almost certain to feature and maintain his record of appearing in every league game this season is Nathan Ake. The popular Dutchman was shifted to a central midfield position last time out.
The manager continued: “Nathan enjoyed the role. It’s one that is natural to him and I think he likes the idea of playing there.
“He was key to our win. The beauty of a player like Nathan is his versatility. I think he would play wherever we wanted him to and that’s a credit to himself.”
A midweek boost came in the form of Lewis Cook, who made an important step in his rehabilitation process from a season-ending knee injury sustained in December.
Whilst Howe was happy to see Cook take a significant step in his recovery process, he was also quick to play down any expectations, adding: “Lewis has been back on the grass. That’s good, but it’s very early stages.
“He and Simon Francis are both at a similar stage. They’re making good progress, but it’s not something we’re getting carried away with. They’ve both got a lot of work to do and that’ll continue through the summer and into pre-season.”
