Bournemouth forward injuries pile up as changes plotted for West Brom FA Cup tie

Unal tore his right anterior cruciate ligament in training and joins fellow frontman Evanilson on the sidelines.

Both forwards have caught the eye and been in the goals for Andoni Iraola's side this term.

The Cherries are expected to make changes for Saturday's third round tie against the managerless Baggies at the Vitality Stadium.

The Premier League side are expected to hunt for a replacement this month with Brighton's Evan Ferguson linked. Bournemouth recalled striker Daniel Jebbison from a loan at Championship side Watford this week.

Speculation has linked the Cherries to a number of frontman, including Albion's 12-goal top goalscorer Josh Maja.

It is the second time Turkey international Unal has sustained an ACL injury, having done the same in 2023 as a Getafe player, missing 210 days.

Bournemouth revealed the 27-year-old, who has appeared in every Cherries game since September, experienced the contact injury in a routine drill on Tuesday morning.

A club statement read: “We are devastated to confirm that Enes Unal has suffered a tear to his right anterior cruciate ligament during a training session this week.

“First and foremost, our thoughts are with Enes at this moment as he begins to process another significant period of rehabilitation ahead.

“He will undergo surgery to repair the ligament in the coming days and the club’s medical and performance staff will support him in every way possible throughout.

“We are all behind Enes and will provide updates on his recovery progress when appropriate.”

The Cherries are likely to turn to fringe squad players including David Brooks, the Wales international midfielder, former Leeds man Tyler Adams and Philip Billing.

Also among their reserves are full-back Max Aarons and youngsters, defender James Hill, and midfielder Ben Winterburn.