Bournemouth hit by injury for the visit of league leaders Liverpool

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe will be without several key men for Premier League leaders Liverpool’s visit to the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.

Defenders Steve Cook (broken wrist) and Adam Smith (ankle) are both ruled out as the Cherries bid to avoid their fifth successive defeat.

Forward Joshua King (hamstring) is also sidelined and midfielder Harry Wilson is ineligible against his parent club.

Junior Stanislas and David Brooks are both recovering from long-term injuries.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and goalkeeper Alisson Becker are set to return to the starting line-up.

Salah, with six goals in four appearances against the Cherries, has been an unused substitute in two of the last four matches and along with Firmino was rested for the midweek Merseyside derby win – a game in which Alisson served a one-match suspension

Defender Joel Matip (knee) and Fabinho (ankle) remain sidelined.

Bournemouth provisional squad: Ramsdale, Stacey, Ake, Rico, Fraser, L. Cook, Lerma, Danjuma, Solanke, C. Wilson, Boruc, Simpson, Mepham, Francis, Gosling, Billing.

Liverpool provisional squad: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Salah, Firmino, Mane, Adrian, Gomez, Milner, Lallana, Keita, Shaqiri, Origi.