Bournemouth to Ease Junior Kroupi Back After Foot Injury

Bournemouth will continue to manage Junior Kroupi’s return carefully when Leeds visit on Saturday, with Marco Rose determined not to expose the French forward to another setback after his three-month absence with a foot injury.

Kroupi’s minutes to be built gradually

Kroupi has begun to re-enter the first-team picture after missing the opening three months of the season. The forward returned during Bournemouth’s 3-0 victory over Manchester United and then came off the bench in the 80th minute of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup win against Aston Villa.

Rose said the 18-year-old’s workload must increase in measured stages rather than through an immediate run of starts.

“We have to keep increasing his minutes,” Rose said. “I’m very pleased he is back and that we have his quality available, but he understands that he must be patient. We do not want to put him in a position where he suffers another injury.

“He needs fitness, a good physical level and steadily more match minutes alongside productive training sessions.”

Injury position before Leeds

Bournemouth remain without Alex Scott, who is recovering from a thigh problem. The midfielder could be available again next week, but he will not be involved against Leeds.

• Junior Kroupi has returned after a foot injury kept him out for three months.
• He featured in the 3-0 win over Manchester United.
• He was introduced in the 80th minute against Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup.
• Alex Scott remains sidelined with a thigh injury and is targeting a possible return next week.

Clean-sheet run sets Bournemouth’s standard

Rose’s side bring strong form into the Leeds fixture, having won each of their last five matches without conceding. The run has followed an encouraging start in performance terms, even if earlier matches did not always bring the points Bournemouth believed they deserved.

Rose felt his players had shown positive signs during pre-season and in the opening rounds, but said avoidable defensive errors and missed moments at both ends had cost them results.

“I thought even during pre-season that we were moving in the right direction,” he said. “The early games were good, but we missed certain moments and individual mistakes led to simple goals against us. That was why the results did not come.

“Now most games are going our way, but it comes from hard work. We have to maintain that work.”

Saturday’s task

The visit of Leeds gives Bournemouth an opportunity to extend a five-match winning sequence and preserve the defensive standards that have underpinned it. Kroupi’s involvement is likely to remain controlled, with Rose balancing the forward’s attacking potential against the need to establish his fitness securely after a lengthy lay-off.