Bournemouth Manager Andoni Iraola Discusses Squad Fitness, Semenyo’s Condition, and Brighton Match Preparations

Andoni Iraola, manager of Bournemouth, addressed reporters in advance of Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Brighton, scheduled for a 15:00 kick-off. The following are the principal statements from his press briefing: Iraola offered an update on the team’s physical condition, stating: “Everyone who went with their national teams has come back available and healthy. Some have played more minutes and will be more tired, but there’s been no new injuries.” Regarding Antoine Semenyo, who did not join Ghana for international commitments, Iraola commented: “He is similar to Milos [Kerkez] – they are young and playing a lot of minutes. I think it’s kind of a tendonitis [issue]. It’s the only time he had to receive treatment to try to solve a more chronic issue. I think they can continue playing with this, I hope it becomes better and better. I hope they can both play tomorrow.” Concerning the opposition for Saturday’s match, Iraola remarked: “I’ve liked a lot of what I’ve seen from Brighton. I think they have kept a lot of good things they had from [Roberto] De Zerbi but I think they are now even more dynamic. They are playing really well and it won’t be easy.” When questioned about how Brighton, known as the Seagulls, compare to Arsenal and Manchester City, Bournemouth’s prior adversaries at Vitality Stadium, Iraola responded: “They have a lot of things in common with these big teams. We have to be ready to play very well without the ball and win very difficult individual duels. Our performance has to be very good.” Addressing the suspension of Ryan Christie for the upcoming weekend fixture, Iraola stated: “We lose a very important player, but it was a matter of time and we will have to adapt. His replacement, Alex Scott, is also injured so we will need others to step up.”