CHERRIES boss Gary O’Neil admitted Emi Marcondes could leave the club this window, stating: “Emi will decide what he wants do.”

Danish midfielder Marcondes travelled to Old Trafford on Tuesday night but was not named in the squad for Cherries’ 3-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester United.

The previous game, a 2-0 defeat at home to Crystal Palace, also saw the former Brentford man absent from the matchday 20, with Marcondes spotted watching on from the stands.

A summer signing ahead of Cherries’ promotion campaign from the Championship last year, Marcondes found himself on the south coast after being released by Brentford, following the Bees’ own arrival to the top-flight.

An eight-minute cameo appearance during Cherries’ 9-0 tonking at Liverpool fulfilled his dreams of playing in the Premier League, but under O’Neil, the 27-year-old has only been named on the bench six times out of 15 league fixtures.

After a move was reportedly vetoed by Marcondes in the summer, recent quotes from the Dane suggest he is now open to a loan switch back to his native Denmark, with former clubs Midtjylland and Nordjaelland both linked.

Asked about the situation with the attacking midfielder, O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “Every footballer I have met that isn’t playing, wants to play.

“Emi will decide what he wants to do.

“Of course we pick the team every week, he’s always in consideration, as are all the others. What happens in January with Emi or any of the others, we’ll see.”

Cherries usually bring 21 players for away trips, with a spare man tagging along in case of an issue with those either in the starting XI, or the nine players on the bench.

“I speak to all the players,” continued O’Neil.

“They know exactly where I see them, what I think of them.

“I have no problem with anyone in the group, at all.

“It’s just a group of 25 and 14 of them are always unhappy come Friday morning when you name your team for Saturday.

“There’s always going to be situations that need looking at.”

Speculation around Marcondes and other fringe players at Cherries has grown with new owner Bill Foley’s statement that he expects a busy window at the Vitality Stadium in terms of incomings.

Cherries currently have a full complement of registered players, meaning unless new signings are under the age of 21, members of the current team will have to be moved on.

Admitting this, O’Neil added: “I think the numbers in the squad will be managed, of course.

“We’ll just manage it as it goes.

“We’ll see how many we look like we can get in, see the best way to make space for them and it will be a constant moving situation.

“I don’t think there’s an exact science or number to it at the moment.

“It will be, ‘can we improve the squad?’

“If we get players in that can help us, we start to integrate them and we try and push the group forward.”