A.F.C Bournemouth are one of the most out of form sides in the Premier League at the moment, and manager Eddie Howe has just been dealt another blow that could derail their entire season.
Central defender Chris Mepham will be ruled out for three months with what has been described as a “significant knee injury”, which he sustained during their third-round FA Cup tie against Luton Town. A further concern for the Cherries boss comes from the fact sides are circling Mepham’s defensive partner Nathan Ake, including former club Chelsea who have a buyout clause in his contract.
The 22-year-old Welsh international has been quietly turning himself into one of Bournemouth’s most influential defenders. He has made more tackles per game than any other Cherries centre back this term, along with an average of 1.5 interceptions per game, putting him behind only Steve Cook. Furthermore, he has the second-highest pass accuracy of the Bournemouth defence and has played a crucial role in building from the back for Howe’s side.
It was bad enough that the chances of Bournemouth losing Ake midway through the season appear to have risen, with a host of speculation linking him to other Premier League sides, but to lose Mepham as well is a cruel twist of fate. If Howe was to be without two of his most reliable defensive assets, the south coast side might end up conceding even more than the nine they have let though in the past five Premier League matches.
Even if Ake does stay on past the January window, this is a crucial period where the Cherries must turn their results around; with games against fellow strugglers Watford, Norwich City and Aston Villa coming up fast. Mepham will miss all of those clashes, meaning Steve Cook will have to be relied upon in his absence to escape the relegation zone. It is incredibly poor timing for the Welshman to sustain an injury but, when he returns, Bournemouth’s situation could be a whole lot worse as without him, the Cherries season could have entered a downward spiral.
