THE Premier League returns after the international break as Cherries host Chelsea at the Vitality Stadium.

AFC Bournemouth will be hoping to maintain their unbeaten start to the season, while their visitors will be aiming to move back into the top half of the table.

The sides are separated by just one point as they meet at Dean Court at 8pm on Saturday, September 14.

The Daily Echo previews this weekend’s clash.

Team news

Cherries will be without Tyler Adams as he continues his recovery from surgery.

Dango Ouattara will also miss out, after picking up an ankle injury with national team Burkina Faso in the international break.

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Enes Unal will be back in contention, after having surgery this summer, while David Brooks, who made the bench against Everton before the break, will be available from the start.

Kepa Arrizabalaga also cannot feature against his parent club, so Mark Travers will start in goal. 

The visitors will be without Malo Gusto who went off injured against Crystal Palace two weeks ago, but Cole Palmer is expected to be fit.

Reece James and Romeo Lavia remain out, but deadline day signing Jadon Sancho will be available.

Head-to-head

Cherries have a patchy record against the Blues, picking up just two points from their last five games against Chelsea.

Chelsea did the double over Cherries in the 2022/23 season, winning 2-0 at home and 3-1 away, after Cherries took four points from the Blues the previous season, winning 1-0 at the Bridge and drawing 2-2 at the Vitality.

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Last season, the sides drew 0-0 at Dean Court, before Chelsea beat Cherries 2-1 at Stamford Bridge on the final day of the season.

Goals from Moises Caicedo and Raheem Sterling were enough to secure the points for the hosts, with a Benoît Badiashile own goal for Bournemouth narrowing the deficit.

The game was Mauricio Pochettino’s final game in charge of Chelsea, with the manager leaving by mutual consent two days later.

He has since been replaced by Enzo Maresca as Blues boss.

Last time out

Bournemouth come into the game as one of seven sides which unbeaten in the league so far this season, and they secured their first win of the term in dramatic fashion against Everton.

Cherries were 2-0 down with just three minutes to play, but mounted a sensational comeback that will go down in history as the latest a side has been trailing by two goals to go on to win.

(Image: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)Goals from Antoine Semenyo, Lewis Cook and Luis Sinisterra in nine mental minutes took all three points back to the south coast from Merseyside.

Chelsea hosted Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on the Sunday before the break.

The Blues led 1-0 at halftime through Nicolas Jackson, but an Eberechi Eze stunner after 53 minutes meant the spoils were shared.

Chelsea sit 11th in the Premier League on four points, having lost one game, won one game and drawn one game.

Cherries are above their visitors in eighth on five points, with two draws and a win.