Eddie Howe coy on whether he will hand Jefferson Lerma his Bournemouth debut against Everton
The midfielder, who arrived from Levante for £25m two days before the transfer deadline, played 90 minutes for the U21s earlier this week against Brentford
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Your support makes all the difference.Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has refused to disclose whether the club’s record signing, Jefferson Lerma, will be included in the matchday squad against Everton.
The midfielder arrived from Levante for £25m two days before the transfer deadline and joined Diego Rico, Tyrone Mings, Marc Pugh and Jack Simpson in playing 90 minutes for the U21s earlier this week against Brentford.
However, the 40-year-old is prepared to play the waiting game as the Colombia international builds up his match fitness.
“The five players that played on Tuesday all came through fine, which is pleasing,” Howe said. “It was a good exercise and they all approached the game in the right way.
“I thought Jefferson did well, his fitness levels were very good and his attitude was spot on. In terms of the weekend, we’ll have to wait and see with him.”
Howe’s side have fared well without Lerma, winning both their games in the league this season against Cardiff and West Ham, and he admitted that he is encouraged by what he has seen so far.
“We are always trying to get the squad to buy into one common goal which is the team, and to focus on the team and make sure the team is the most important thing.
“I am very pleased that they have taken to every challenge I have given them. Every time I’ve asked them to work harder, go again, they’ve done it and at the moment individually and collectively I think they are reaping the benefits of that, so early days as I’ve said but good signs.”
Bournemouth were tipped for relegation in the early days of this season, but their manager believes that they have the strength in depth to deliver.
“I think we’ve shown in the two games some really good signs of what the team could be, glimpses of what the future may hold, but we’ve still got to deliver that and we know in the Premier League how difficult that can be,” he added.
“There are players that we haven’t seen yet who I think can really contribute to the season, I think that’s really exciting for everybody.
“The strength in depth we have, although not high on numbers, is high on quality so I’m excited about the next week. We’ve got two games and a good opportunity to see everyone play.”
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