Bournemouth will begin their preparations for the 2022-23 campaign with a pre-season clash against League One outfit Sheffield Wednesday on Friday afternoon.
The Cherries are building towards their Premier League opener against Aston Villa on August 6, while Wednesday will begin their League One season at home to Portsmouth on July 30.
Match preview
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Bournemouth's pre-season camp in Portugal got underway earlier this week, and the Cherries will begin their preparations for the new season against Wednesday in a behind-closed-doors training game.
The Cherries have not been busy this summer in terms of incomings, with only Joe Rothwell and Ryan Fredericks arriving on free transfers, but the exits have also been limited, with only Robbie Brady and Gary Cahill moving on, so head coach Scott Parker is set to reward those that impressed last season.
Bournemouth finished second in the Championship last term to secure a return to the top level, and they will take on Wednesday and Braga in training-ground friendlies over the next five days before facing Bristol City and Real Sociedad in their final two pre-season contests.
Parker's side will then open their 2022-23 Premier League season against Aston Villa on August 6, and it will be fascinating to see how the team perform on their return to the top level.
Bournemouth last played in the Premier League in 2019-20, finishing 18th to drop into the Championship, where they have spent the last two campaigns.
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Wednesday, meanwhile, finished fourth in League One last season to secure a spot in the playoffs, but they were beaten by Sunderland in the semi-finals.
As a result, the Owls will again play in the third tier of English football next season, and they have already taken part in two pre-season friendlies this summer, starting with a goalless draw against Alfreton Town on July 2 before beating Harrogate Town 2-0 on Friday.
Wednesday will play two more friendlies after this one, facing Rayo Vallecano and Wigan Athletic in the space of three days before opening their League One campaign against Portsmouth on July 30.
Darren Moore's side have been busy this summer in terms of incomings, with Akin Famewo, Will Vaulks, Ben Heneghan, David Stockdale and Reece James among those to arrive.
There have also been a number of outgoings, including Saido Berahino, and there is expected to be more business at the club before the end of the transfer window.
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Team News
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Rothwell and Fredericks could both make their Bournemouth debuts in this contest, while Parker has confirmed that Jonas Lossl is currently training with the club.
Lossl, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Brentford from FC Midtjylland, could be given the opportunity to impress on Friday, with Parker likely to make wholesale changes throughout the contest.
The Cherries are expected to have a number of familiar faces in their starting side, including Dominic Solanke, who scored 29 Championship goals during an impressive 2021-22 campaign.
As for Wednesday, there are expected to a number of new faces on display, with the likes of Famewo and Vaulks potentially being handed spots in the starting side.
Barry Bannan is likely to feature in the middle of the park, while Lee Gregory and Sylla Sow are expected to feature as the front two for the League One outfit.
Head coach Moore will also make full use of his squad throughout the contest, with a number of youngsters looking for opportunities to impress ahead of the start of competitive action.
Bournemouth possible starting lineup:
Travers; Fredericks, Mepham, Kelly, Zemura; Cook, Rothwell; Christie, Marcondes, Anthony; Solanke
Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Dawson; Ihiekwe, Famewo, Iorfa, Galvin; Adeniran, Bannan, Vaulks, Johnson; Gregory, Sow
We say: Bournemouth 2-2 Sheffield Wednesday
Wednesday will provide competitive opposition for Bournemouth, which is what Parker will want at this stage of pre-season. The heat could play a huge part in this match, as the conditions are likely to be difficult, but we are still predicting an entertaining draw on Friday.
Matt Law
