Eddie Howe has explained why Sean Longstaff was left on the bench during the defeat at Aston Villa.
The Geordie midfielder was restricted to a substitute role and played just 22 minutes at Villa Park. But after the game Howe emerged to insist he was only sidelined due to an illness ahead of the crunch match.
Howe said after the game: "Sean’s had some illness, so we weren’t quite sure how long he could play either. All these things are factored into my decision-making.
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"Sean had a bout of tonsilitis in the week, so he didn’t train. We felt he wasn’t fit to start the game.
"I don’t think his absence necessarily affects where Bruno is playing on the pitch, but we maybe missed Sean’s tenacity and his legs and energy. His endurance levels are at the very highest level, and we didn’t look right in midfield."
Howe at least welcomed back Miguel Almiron earlier than expected with the Paraguay international coming back in after a thigh injury suffered in March. Almiron came on as sub just before the hour mark.
Howe reflected: "Of course, with Miggy’s return, we weren’t quite sure how long he was going to be able to play."
It remains to be seen whether Allan Saint-Maximin will be involved in the decisive battle against Tottenham Hotspur next weekend. The player has been back in France after suffering a hamstring problem.
When asked if he could face Spurs, Howe said: "I’m not sure at the moment (on Saint-Maximin). We’ll have to wait and see. Hopefully, we’ll know more in the next few days."
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