PREM: Bournemouth v Arsenal preview

Bournemouth v Arsenal preview

Bournemouth's Jack Wilshere is ineligible to face parent club Arsenal in Tuesday's Premier League clash.

Wilshere sat out the Cherries' 3-1 defeat at the Emirates in November and will have another watching brief as his current team-mates look to build on a convincing win over Swansea on New Year's Eve.

Arsenal head into this one after a comfortable victory of their own - Olivier Giroud's scorpion-kick goal the standout moment in a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace - but Arsene Wenger is full of admiration for his next opponent, Eddie Howe.

 

"He is an example for all of the young English managers that if you work well, if you work your way through with a club, you can get your chance in the Premier League," Wenger told Sky Sports ahead of the game.

"I think even in the Championship, let's not forget they had a remarkable season; they scored over 100 goals. They have a style of play that is a positive style of play."

 

Wilshere's absence will at least be offset by Benik Afobe's availability, the former Gunners striker withdrawing from DR Congo's Africa Cup of Nations squad in a bid to help the Cherries' cause. 

  

"It's a massive tournament for everyone, but thinking about my development and being at this stage in my career where I'm trying to establish myself in my first full Premier League season, I just want to keep improving," he said.

 

"I have a great opportunity here now and I think by going away and missing six or seven weeks it could hamper my season personally and for the team."

Though Afobe has sidestepped the tournament in Gabon, Max Gradel could miss as many as six weeks of Bournemouth's season after linking up with Ivory Coast for the African tournament.

 

The Gunners, meanwhile, look likely to have to do without Ozil at the Vitality Stadium as he continues to recover from illness.

There could be starts for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Shkodran Mustafi, who featured on the bench against the Eagles having recovered from injury.

And Wenger will likely make further changes to his team as they prepare for their second match in three days, Aaron Ramsey and Francis Coquelin among those in contention.