Bournemouth have said they will support Enes Unal “in every possible way” after the Turkey international became the latest long-term striker absent.
A day after the Cherries revealed that Brazilian striker Evanilson had undergone surgery on a broken bone in his foot, the club announced that Unal tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee during a routine training session on Tuesday, adding that they were “devastated”. “.
Unal, who scored his two goals of the season in two consecutive Premier League matches in December, also missed the first half of the 2023/24 season for Spanish side Getafe due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
A club statement on Wednesday said: “First and foremost, our thoughts are with Ennis at this moment as he embarks on another important period of rehabilitation.”
He added: “He will undergo surgery to repair the ligament in the coming days, and the club's medical staff and performance staff will support him in every way possible at all times.” We are all supporting Ennis and will provide updates on the progress of his recovery when appropriate.
We are all with you, Anis 🫂
I wish you the best in your recovery ❤️🖤 pic.twitter.com/hkwGvHZrGD
– AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) January 8, 2025
Unal Bournemouth statistics
The 27-year-old joined Bournemouth on loan from Getafe in January before his move was made permanent for £13m in May.
He contributed two goals and two assists in 17 matches during his loan period and has played in all 17 of the club's matches since missing the first four matches of this season due to a broken toe.
The injury kept Unal out of Türkiye's Euro 2024 squad, but he returned to make his 34th appearance as a substitute at home to Wales in the UEFA Nations League in November.
Your hard work doesn't go unnoticed, Eva 🇧🇷
Best of luck with your recovery ❤ pic.twitter.com/naAE6t0RFo
– AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) January 7, 2025
Bournemouth injury: Unal and Evanelson out
Bournemouth responded by recalling their only remaining striker, Daniel Gibson, from his loan at Championship club Watford, where the 21-year-old has not scored in 13 matches.
Justin Kluivert, the team's top scorer with six goals, was among the attacking line in the 1-0 home win over Everton on Saturday, when David Brooks scored 13 minutes before the end of time and Evanilson was substituted after 82 minutes due to a foot injury.
Evanilson joined for a club record £40.2m from Porto last August and has scored five goals in 19 league appearances, making 17 starts.
Antoine Simenho, who also scored five goals, started as part of an attack that also included Dango Ouattara, who scored three goals, with Onal introduced as a substitute.
Bournemouth vs West Bromwich
Coach Andoni Iraola's players are ranked seventh in the standings, three points behind the top four, after achieving a club record of eight league matches without defeat.
The team will then play at home against West Bromwich Albion, a second-tier team, in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday (3 pm GMT).
