Key events
Those teams: Andoni Iraola makes two changes to the Bournemouth side that drew with West Ham last time out. Marcus Tavernier and David Brooks come into the side, with Amine Adli and Evanilson dropping to the bench.
There are four changes to the Sunderland side that started against Fulham last weekend, with three of them enforced. Mackems everywhere will be delighted to see club captain Granit Xhaka come back into the side to make his first start in six weeks, while Lutsharel Geertruida, Eliezer Mayenda and Chemsdine Talbi also come in. January signing Nilson Angulo makes way and is among the substitutes, while Jocelin Ta Bi, Nordi Mukiele and Brian Brobbey are injured.
Bournemouth v Sunderland line-ups
Bournemouth: Petrovic, Jimenez, Hill, Senesi, Truffert, Scott, Adams, Brooks, Rayan, Kroupi, Tavernier.
Subs: Mandas, Evanilson, Christie, Smith, Diakite, Adli, Enes Unal, Toth, Milosavljevic.
Sunderland: Roefs, Geertruida, Ballard, Alderete, Hume, Sadiki, Xhaka, Le Fee, Diarra, Mayenda, Talbi.
Subs: Ellborg, O’Nien, Rigg, H. Jones, Jen. Jones, Aleksic, Angulo, Traore, Isidor.
Early team news
At his pre-match press conference, Andoni Iraola revealed that Lewis Cook’s hamstring injury is worse than first feared and is likely to keep him out until after the March international break. Ben Gannon-Doak is also hoping to be back at around the same time. Justin Kluivert and Julio Soler are also unavailable.
Following his captain’s return from injury as a substitute against Fulham last weekend, Regis Le Bris said Granit Xhaka “might” start this afternoon. Romaine Mundle and Jocelin Ta Bi will be sidelined for “a few weeks or months” on the back of injuries they sustained against Fulham, while Nordi Mukiele and Brian Brobbey will be assessed. This game has come too soon for Dennis Cirkin, who is expected to be back in 10 days, while Bertrand Traore is back in full training.
Premier League: Bournemouth v Sunderland
Today’s early kick-off hasn’t deterred travelling Sunderland fans, some of whom were pictured on social media at midnight, boarding their coaches ahead of a 1,098-kilometre (682 miles) round trip to Bournemouth. They’ll have arrived at around 8am and now fortified by hearty breakfasts, some bracing southern sea air (that obviously isn’t as bracing as their northern sea air) and liquid refreshments, will be hoping to see their team end a run of three consecutive league defeats against one of the top flight’s most in-form sides.
Unbeaten in seven matches, four of which they’ve won, Bournemouth are very much in the mix for European qualification and will still be entertaining faint hopes of sneaking into the fifth place position that will almost certainly guarantee Champions League football next season. A win today will move them to within four points of Chelsea and Liverpool in fifth and sixth, and a seventh placed finish ought to be enough to secure European football of some kind next season. Back in 12th, a win for Sunderland would move them to within one of the magic 40-point mark. Kick-off at the Vitality Stadium is at 12.30pm (GMT) but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
