Bournemouth receive major Junior Kroupi injury boost ahead of Man Utd clash
· Yahoo Sports
Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi has returned to first-team training and could make his long-awaited comeback against Manchester United this weekend.
The 20-year-old has been sidelined since July after suffering a fractured metatarsal during the club’s pre-season training camp in Austria.
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However, Sky Sports reporter Mark McAdam has revealed that Kroupi is back training with his teammates and could feature in Sunday’s Premier League encounter at Old Trafford.
Bournemouth manager Marco Rose has also confirmed the Frenchman’s progress, raising hopes that he could make his first appearance of the campaign.
“Junior is back into the team training, but not on the UEFA list,” Rose explained. “But maybe we can have him for some minutes in Manchester.”
Kroupi will therefore remain unavailable for Thursday’s Europa League meeting with AC Milan, having been omitted from Bournemouth’s European squad during his recovery.
Nevertheless, his return to full training represents a significant development after initial concerns that he could remain sidelined until November.
The France Under-21 international underwent surgery in late July after sustaining the injury while taking a shot during a training session.
He subsequently spent several weeks rehabilitating before resuming individual work on the grass earlier this month.
Reports from France previously indicated that Kroupi had targeted the Manchester United fixture for his return, although Bournemouth were determined not to rush his recovery.
His latest progress suggests that the club could now be ready to reintegrate him gradually into competitive action.
Kroupi established himself as one of the Premier League’s most promising young forwards during an impressive debut campaign in England.
The former Lorient attacker scored 13 league goals last season, becoming Bournemouth’s leading scorer and attracting interest from several major European clubs.
His performances also saw him break the record for most Premier League goals by a teenager in their debut season.
Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona were among the clubs linked with the youngster before his injury effectively ended speculation surrounding a summer departure.
Bournemouth subsequently maintained that Kroupi was not available for transfer, with the forward remaining an important part of their long-term plans.
Rose has relied on other attacking options during his absence, including Evanilson and summer signing Alvaro Rodriguez.
However, Kroupi’s potential return would provide another goalscoring option as Bournemouth balance domestic commitments with their first European campaign.
The Cherries visit Manchester United on Sunday, with Kroupi now hoping to earn his first competitive minutes since recovering from surgery.