Stoke to assess Josh Tymon fitness ahead of Bournemouth clash

Posted Friday, January 01, 2021 by PA

Josh Tymon faces a late fitness test before Stoke host Bournemouth in the Sky Bet Championship on Saturday.

The left-back is carrying a knock but could feature against the Cherries, with midfielders Sam Clucas and John Obi Mikel also being assessed after they both got valuable minutes off the bench in the draw with Nottingham Forest.

Striker Steven Fletcher (knee) will be checked over on New Year’s Day and former Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen continues to be managed carefully following his long-term Achilles injury – he played for an hour against Forest.

Goalkeepers Lee Gregory and Angus Gunn, defender Morgan Fox and striker Tyrese Campbell are injured and will sit the game out.

Promotion-chasing Bournemouth may unleash striker Josh King against the Potters from the start.

The former Manchester United man, who has been linked with a January move to West Ham, made a 20-minute appearance in the second half of Wednesday’s defeat at Brentford after recovering from a back issue.

Winger Arnaut Danjuma (hamstring) and defender Chris Mepham (calf) remain unavailable. Boss Jason Tindall told the Bournemouth Echo: “Meps is just starting to go outside now on the training pitches with the physios and, within the next sort of week, his programme will intensify a little bit. We will start to push him a little bit harder and hope to have him back within the next two to three weeks.”

On-loan Tottenham defender Cameron Carter-Vickers (ankle) is a long-term absentee and has still not made his Cherries debut.