AFC Bournemouth trio set to return for Stoke City clash

Three AFC Bournemouth first-teamers are set to return to the fold for their weekend clash with Stoke City at the Vitality Stadium in the form of Ethan Laird, Gary Cahill and Adam Smith, as confirmed by the Bournemouth Echo.

The Cherries have had a free week to rest up and recharge their batteries after matches against Nottingham Forest and Swansea City were postponed due to the after-effects of Storm Eunice.

Their last result was a winning one though after securing a late victory against Blackpool on the road, and before that they picked up three points on home soil against Birmingham City.

Two players who didn’t feature in either were full-backs Laird and Smith, but both are in-line to come back into the fold against the Potters on Saturday afternoon.

Laird is yet to feature because of a hamstring injury that he had when he arrived at the club on loan from Manchester United in January, whilst Smith had knee surgery in December and has missed every match since appearing in that month against Fulham.

There may also be a return for Gary Cahill as well, with the Champions League and Premier League winner absent from the win over Blackpool with a knee issue that he’s now recovered from.

Several players remain on the sidelines though, such as Junior Stanislas, Ryan Christie, Robbie Brady and Kieffer Moore, whilst Jefferson Lerma is still suspended and in the middle of a four-game ban.

The Verdict

Bournemouth’s chances of victory against a Stoke side with strong attacking talents will be bolstered if any of the returnees play.

Laird was a highly-rated recruit last month and the fact he’s not been able to play yet will have been a frustration to Parker.

Even though Bournemouth have won their last two Championship matches