BOSS Andoni Iraola will be relying upon all members of the Cherries playing squad in the coming weeks, stating that “we will need more than 11 players”.

Cherries return following a break in league fixtures for the final international window of 2023, visiting Sheffield United in the 13th game of their Premier League campaign tomorrow afternoon (3pm).

By the start of 2024 Cherries will have surpassed the half-way mark of the season, with seven fixtures crammed into the month of December.

That fact is not lost on Iraola, who is earmarking the packed festive schedule as an opportunity to improve Cherries’ away form.

So far this term Cherries have taken just one point from their first five fixtures away from home this season, a draw at Brentford at the start of September.

Discussing the upcoming busy period, Iraola told the Daily Echo: “For us, it's a very important part of the season now.

“Now we are talking that we have to improve away.

“We have from the next four games, three away, in just two weeks.

“So it's games where we should have points.

“Then we have the end of the first half (of the month), let's say important games against teams that we have our chances.

“So it's a month that we will need more than 11 players. We will need a lot of players because we will play sometimes every three or four days.

“It will be important.”

So far this term, Iraola has handed 24 players minutes in the Premier League, including duo James Hill and Jaidon Anthony, who are currently on loan at Championship sides Blackburn Rovers and Leeds United respectively.

On top of that, a further two players have been named in a matchday 20 for a league game and not been used, whilst Tyler Adams has featured in the EFL Cup.

Asked how challenging it was to maintain confidence over the international break following the gap from their last game, a victory over Newcastle, Iraola replied: “I think it's not because the game, because the performance.

“I think the team is improving also in training, the level they have to realise.

“We are able to do things that probably we were not a couple of months ago.

“We are facing Newcastle, Liverpool, they are here and we can win individual duels also against these kind of players.

“We need to grow in the confidence and the performance of more players.

“The other day, the ones that came in the second half.

“Sini, (Luis Sinisterra), Adam Smith, we are talking about, Dango (Ouattara).

“They contributed, and this is important for us, very important.”