It’s a new week, a chance to put recent setbacks behind us and easily the biggest few days of our season.
Despite all the talk centering around Sunday’s final at Wembley, where we’ll take on an in-form Liverpool side for a chance to lift the Carabao Cup, we have massive Premier League game to tackle first.
After weekend results went against us, seeing us slip to 9th in the table, the importance of tonight’s 8pm kick-off at the London Stadium can’t be underestimated for several reasons.
In Friday’s press conference, a journalist asked Eddie Howe is there is a temptation to wrap our star players in cotton wool tonight and name a much-changed side with Sunday’s final in mind.
This idea has been floated by many on social media after we lost Anthony Gordon (suspension), Lewis Hall (ankle) and Sven Botman (knee) to injuries last week, but it’s not something Eddie Howe is even remotely entertaining.
Howe was adamant. “Resting players doesn’t even come into my head. If you think a player not playing for two weeks before a huge game is good for them then that’s not the case. They need regular football to give them the best chance of being fit, but also performing, so those players will play. The only way to feel good is to win, so we will pick our strongest team.”
We couldn’t agree more. Win tonight and it would be a huge boost to our European hopes – we’ll go back to 6th with a victory – build momentum just when we desperately need some and hand everyone around the club a confidence boost ahead of Sunday’s final.
Lose tonight with a weakened side and we’ll stay 9th, become cut adrift from the pack of clubs chasing a top five finish, and head to Wembley with a real lack of belief; which will be needed if we’re to overcome Liverpool this weekend.
Despite fears last week that Alexander Isak was the latest Mag to join the injury list, Howe has confirmed that the Swede is “fine” and trained all of last week after his withdrawal against Brighton was down to nothing more than “fatigue.”
Joelinton is fit again and looks back to his “normal self” physically after overcoming a knee injury, with news of a recall to the Brazil squad also a huge boost for our midfield enforcer.
We fully expect him to start tonight, but it will be interesting to see who Howe goes with on the left wing. Harvey Barnes? Joe Willock? Or perhaps even Joelinton, should Lewis Miley keep his place in midfield alongside Bruno and Tonali.
Whatever Howe opts for, tonight is a huge game in our season and could set the tone for Sunday’s final. A strong side feels certain – let’s hope we can come away injury free with a much-needed win!