Bournemouth are sweating over Marcos Senesi’s availability ahead of Monday night’s meeting with Manchester United.
The Argentine started as the Cherries held Chelsea to a goalless draw last weekend, but after going down and receiving treatment, he was withdrawn with just over an hour played.
Speaking post-match, Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola said the substitution was simply precautionary, putting it down to cramp.
Previewing Monday night’s trip to Old Trafford, the Spaniard maintained that Senesi was not facing a genuine muscle injury, but revealed that his issue is worse than first feared.
“I think it’s a similar picture than we had last week,” he said.
“Marcos was the one that finished the game with some cramps and still is dealing with some issues there, but there is not a proper muscle injury.
“So we hope he’s available also for Monday, but we are not sure. It’s strange because we still have three more days, so it’s difficult to know what’s going to happen, but should be very similar from past weekend.”
Senesi joins Veljko Milosavljevic, Matai Akinmboni, Ryan Christie and Ben Gannon-Doak in the physio’s room as he pushes to be passed fit.
Bournemouth head to the north-west on a six-match winless run, which included humbling defeats by Man City, Aston Villa, Sunderland, and Everton.
Iraola puts the dip in form down to a lack of ‘efficiency’ in his side.
"I think we are being less efficient, definitely, than we've been at the beginning of the season. We were getting more points than we deserved at the beginning of the season, and now we are getting less points overall.
"I know that we weren't as good as we looked at the beginning, and we are not as bad as our results say, lately. We are somewhere in the middle."
"We are looking now for risk, efficiency, scoring, the chances you have, for being better inside the box. At the end of the day that is what matters most."
