In-form duo Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest lock horns in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
Both sides enter the encounter in confident mood after impressive starts to the new year, with Forest knowing they could finish the weekend in second place should they better Arsenal’s result. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have been the surprise success story of the current campaign and currently sit top of the form table across the last five games with four wins and a draw.
A trip to the south coast will be no cakewalk, though. Bournemouth are fresh from hammering Newcastle United 4-1 at St James’ Park last weekend and have climbed to seventh in the table following a ten-match unbeaten run in the Premier League. Victory on Saturday would move them within just four points of Forest.
Here is 90min’s guide to an intriguing clash on the south coast.
Bournemouth’s recent form is all the more impressive when taking into consideration their extensive injury list. Remarkably, they will be without ten first-team players against Forest as Andoni Iraola’s high-energy approach takes its toll.
In defence, the Cherries will be without all three senior right-backs – James Hill, Adam Smith and Julian Araujo – and Marcos Senesi is absent in the centre. January recruit Julio Soler is currently unavailable due to international commitments with Argentina’s Under-20s.
Alex Scott is the only absentee in the midfield but Bournemouth’s forward line is ravaged by fitness issues. Evanilson and Enes Unal are sidelined, the latter out for the rest of the season, while Luis Sinisterra is also unavailable. Marcus Tavernier is back in training but Iraola has confirmed that he remains a doubt this weekend.
