Bournemouth striker suffers ACL tear in training

Bournemouth have confirmed that striker Enes Unal has suffered a serious anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury during a routine training session, dealing a significant blow to the club’s ambitions this season, Soccernet.football reports.

The Turkish international, who joined Bournemouth from Getafe in July, has been a consistent figure for the Cherries, featuring in every Premier League game since September and contributing two vital goals to the team’s record-breaking unbeaten run.

In an official statement, Bournemouth expressed their disappointment at the injury.

“We are devastated to confirm that Enes Unal has suffered a tear to his right anterior cruciate ligament during a training session this week,” the club said.

“The Turkish striker, who has featured in every Cherries game since September, experienced the contact injury in a routine drill on Tuesday morning.”

Unal, 27, will undergo surgery in the coming days, and his recovery timeline is expected to sideline him for several months.

This is another chapter of misfortune for the forward, who previously endured a lengthy recovery from an ACL injury in 2023 and battled a broken toe ahead of Euro 2024.

The injury comes at a critical juncture for Bournemouth, who are currently seventh in the Premier League and just three points off the top four.

It also compounds their striking woes, with Brazilian forward Evanilson undergoing surgery for a fractured metatarsal sustained during last weekend’s 1-0 victory over Everton.

With Unal’s absence, manager Andoni Iraola will need to reconfigure his attacking options as the Cherries strive to maintain their strong league position in the coming months.