Scott Parker unfazed by Cherries' upcoming fixture backlog

Following games against Nottingham Forest and Swansea City being postponed in the past week due to Storm Eunice, Cherries still have 16 matches remaining to fulfil their Championship season.

A game against Peterborough United in January was also called off, due to a COVID-19 outbreak among Cherries' squad.

That means Parker's men have now played fewer matches than any other side in the Championship, with as many as four games in hand on some clubs.

With new dates now confirmed for the rearranged fixtures, following next weekend's trip to Preston, Cherries will be playing at least two games a week between now and the end of the season in May, bar the two-week international break in March.

From the start of April, they will have 10 games in 36 days to round off the regular league season.

Discussing the upcoming fixture backlog Cherries will have to work through, Parker said: "There’s a lot of games now we’ve had to fit in, but that’s fine.

"We’ve got a squad. Of course we may need to adjust certain things. We’ve lived in a bit of a world for the last two years where we’ve had to be flexible and sometimes it’s not been ideal.

"Due to COVID the game against Peterborough got called off and then the storm, I think it got recorded the worst storm in 30 years, which has obviously affected us in that.

"While we have a lot of fixtures coming up, we’re in a good place and ready for what is going to be a tough run-in now for everyone. This is the part of the season now where the run-in comes, so we’re ready for that."

He added: "We’ve got a good enough squad now. Obviously some players are missing at the moment, but overall a strong squad that we’d hope can handle a busy fixture schedule, which we have coming up.

"I’m looking forward to the run-in and the games coming thick and fast. Hopefully we’re on the right side of momentum on that and it can be a real push from us."

Cherries host Stoke City on Saturday (3pm).