Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe intends to ring the changes as his side travel to Burton for the third round of the Carabao Cup but has urged his players not to take their opponents lightly.
Howe’s squad sit sixth in the Premier League after an impressive 3-1 victory at Southampton at the weekend – their first ever away win against their south coast rivals.
Now the Cherries head to League One Burton to continue their Carabao Cup campaign, having scraped through the previous round on penalties against League Two side Forest Green.
“To try and get through is the main objective, however we do that,” Howe told the club’s official website.
“You saw in the last round it was a penalty shoot-out, that wasn’t ideal but we got through and in cup competitions its just about being in the hat for the next round. That’s what we’ll endeavour to do.”
Howe highlighted the frequency of matches for Premier League sides and cited this as a reason for switching up his squad.
“When you’re playing in the Premier League, you notice the physical effort and the exertions the players give to the games.
“When you get a three-game week, which we have now coming up, you’ve got to manage certain players.
“We will rotate the team, there will be opportunities for players and I hope they grasp it with both hands.”
Howe’s last visit to the Pirelli Stadium was in 2010, when his side beat the Brewers 2-0 to secure promotion from League Two.
Though Bournemouth have since risen to the top flight of English football, Howe is not complacent and has warned his players to expect a tough test.
“Whenever you go away from home to lower league opposition, you know they’re very difficult matches. We know Nigel Clough from previous encounters,” he said.
“It’s a really tough ground to go to, so we look forward to a tough battle.
“We know these early rounds are very, very difficult matches as Forest Green proved here. We’re under no illusions that we’re going to have to be at our very best, but hopefully the players are ready for a tough encounter.”
