With an injury issue at the back, head coach Andoni Irola quipped that “someone has to play” at left-back for the Cherries against Queens Park Rangers.
Dango Ouattara, the Cherries’ temporary defender, had an ankle injury during last weekend’s loss to Tottenham Hotspur, which forced him to miss the match.
Following the AFCON call, the Burkina Faso international was expected to be absent from the Cherries; however, Ouattara’s injury may now prevent him from playing in the tournament.
He goes inside the treatment room with Lloyd Kelly and Milos Kerkez, as the Cherries do not presently have a senior left-back.
Ben Greenwood, the captain of the development squad and a natural left-back, has been alluded to by Irola in the past.
When asked what he felt about the left-back situation, Irola responded, “Tomorrow, someone has to play!
“There, we’ll play with someone.
“We need to consider several choices.
Since anything may happen at any point throughout the game, I think we have a lot of options.
“We have taken distinct, divergent paths.
You may, in my opinion, continue to use the right full-back on the left.
“After that, we can move on together. As a left-back, I believe Mapes (Chris Mepham) has also finished the game.
“A player who may feel like Dango (Dango Ouattara) might be more aggressive.
It’s true that Kelly, Lloyd (Kelly), Milos (Kerkez), and Dango—who have given a really good performance—are no longer available.
Therefore, we need to consider our possibilities.
Upon hearing that the Cherries may alter their formation to address the left-back issue, Irola responded, “We can go like this, but we are playing well right now.
Thus, I don’t think we’ll change all that much.
“If that is the question, then obviously we have to make small adjustments based on the opposition, but right now I don’t see us playing with five players at the back.”
left-back concerns
