Dominic Solanke injury casts doubt over Bournemouth’s clash with Arsenal

Bournemouth’s routine 2-0 victory at Stoke City in the Carabao Cup was marred by a late injury to star striker Dominik Solanke that could see him miss the weekend clash with Arsenal.

Solanke, who recently signed a new contract with the Cherries, has started the season in fine form with four goals in eight games in all competitions. His latest came in the second half of Wednesday’s game against Stoke as he opened the scoring at the Vitality Stadium having come off the bench at half-time.

Joe Rothwell added the second – his first goal for the club – as Andoni Iraola’s side progressed to the fourth round but the result was soured somewhat when Solanke limped off with an ankle injury late on.

Solanke’s Injury

‘Dom has played well,’ said Iraola, of his star striker after the game. ‘We needed a change of energy and the whole of the team had a different attitude in the second half. Unfortunately, he couldn’t finish the game, that was probably the worst part of the evening. We will see tomorrow if the ankle is swollen or not but we have a very tight schedule so it will be tough for him to play at the weekend.’

Solanke has featured in every game this season and made his impact of the bench on Wednesday with a cute finish on the turn in the 51st minute.

Bournemouth vs Liverpool

The 26-year-old can now look forward to a fourth-round tie against his former side Liverpool after the draw pitted the two Premier League sides together.

‘We wouldn’t have chosen Liverpool, for sure, but I think we have to make them play a good game and come here and beat us. It isn’t an easy draw,’ Iraola said.

Bournemouth vs Arsenal

However, there will be a more pressing concern around the fitness of Solanke, with Bournemouth set to host Arsenal on Saturday.

The Cherries are still yet to win in the league this season and currently sit in 16th place with three points from their opening six games.

Conclusion

The injury to Solanke could be a major blow for Bournemouth as they look to turn their season around and get their first win of the season against Arsenal. With Solanke’s status uncertain, it will be up to Iraola to find a way to get his side over the line against one of the Premier League’s top sides.