Following a second spell on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury, Tavernier returned with a bang against Fulham last weekend. Introduced off the bench, the former Middlesbrough man smashed in a stunning equaliser as Cherries went on to win 2-1. Tavernier was again named among the substitutes on Tuesday night, coming on for the final half an hour of the 2-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion. Asked how close the 24-year-old now is to starting a game for Cherries,
Gary O’Neil said: “He’s closer. He’s had two decent sub appearances, so we’ll see how he’s feeling in the morning. Hopefully we can get him in the starting XI soon.”
Asked if he is erring on the side of caution to avoid Tavernier suffering a setback,
Gary O’Neil added: “We have people at the club who are specialised in that area. So of course I’ll listen to the advice and speak to Tav himself, see how he’s feeling and try and make a real good decision on it. Everyone would love Tav to have been available for 90 minutes in the last two games, of course. But it’s also important that Tav is available for the rest of the season. We need to handle it correctly, but he’s come through another good week. There’s potential that he could play a big part at Leicester tomorrow. There’s a lot that he can bring that could be a difference. The group has been doing okay already, but he’s a lovely addition to add to it. He’s a great lad. He brings enthusiasm, a buzz around the place, as well as his quality, his athleticism. He’ll be a big player for us, of course. He’s getting fitter by the day. He’ll be back in full throttle in no time at all.”
Asked how much of a setback losing to Brighton was ahead of the big trip to fellow relegation-threatened Leicester,
Gary O’Neil said: “Performance-wise, you can win Premier League matches performing like we did on Tuesday night.”
