With tonight’s 7.45pm kick-off edging closer, it’s time to predict who Eddie Howe will select to take on Thomas Frank’s Brentford for a place in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.
Sean Longstaff is suspended, while Nick Pope (knee), Callum Wilson (hamstring), Sven Botman (not yet match fit), Emil Krafth (collarbone) and Jamaal Lascelles (ACL) are also absent.
Here’s the team we think Howe will go with and why…
**(4-3-3):** Dubravka – Trippier, Schar, Burn, Hall – Bruno, Tonali, Joelinton – Murphy, Isak, Gordon.
In net, I can’t see Howe changing goalkeepers again after Dubravka kept a clean sheet on his first start of the season on Saturday. Vlachodimos will be itching for a start in Pope’s absence, but I’m expecting Dubravka to keep his place.
Trippier is the only player I could see coming into the back four if Howe was to rotate slightly. Livramento has played a lot of football lately and our former skipper will keen to make up for the error that cost us at Chelsea this time last year.
I’ve got a feeling he’ll start – it would be his first since that 0-0 draw at Everton over two months ago – keeping Livramento fresh for Ipswich on Saturday.
With Longstaff is suspended and Joelinton banned for Saturday’s game, the Brazilian will almost certainly start here. Bruno and Tonali are surely too good to be ‘rested’ for our biggest game of the season so far, meaning Willock and Miley should be on the bench.
In attack, Isak and Gordon are two of our first names on the team sheet. While Barnes will be desperate to start, it wouldn’t make sense to accommodate him if it meant moving Gordon to the right, just as he’s rediscovering his best form on the left.
With that in mind and Almiron seemingly out of Howe’s plans, I’d expect Murphy to start again down the right, giving him a chance to build on two assists and two goals in his last two games.
How do you see us lining up? Comment below with your predicted line-ups…