Instant reaction and key information as AFCB were drawn to face Lincoln City at the Vitality Stadium in the EFL Cup 3rd round. Could this be the season where Cherries have a successful cup run?
AFCB were drawn to face newly promoted Championship side Lincoln City, with the game set to be hosted at the Vitality Stadium on the 7th September.
Despite the game being a great chance for Cherries to play some of the fringe players that will be keen to get a full 90 minutes and impress Marco Rose, that may halt the works being done on the ground ahead of the first Europa League game.
With a midweek home game, works that can be done on the ground that week will be limited, especially as Bournemouth also host Brentford later that week in the Premier League.
On the visitors, The Imps booked their place in the third round with an impressive 4-1 victory away at Blackpool, which was a much needed win after losing both of their opening games of the Championship campaign.
A tie against Lincoln should also give Bournemouth manager Marco Rose the chance to rotate his squad. Players who have had fewer minutes in the Premier League can be given valuable competitive action, while younger prospects can be given an opportunity to impress. That could prove particularly important over a season in which Bournemouth will have more fixtures to navigate than usual.
There is also little reason for the Cherries to underestimate Lincoln. Their emphatic second-round victory demonstrates that they possess enough quality to cause problems if Bournemouth are not fully focused. However, on paper, the difference in squad depth and individual quality should make Bournemouth strong favourites.
For Bournemouth, the draw represents the perfect balance between maintaining momentum and managing the demands of a busy season. With European football also on the schedule, avoiding another Premier League opponent is particularly valuable. The Cherries are among the nine Premier League clubs entering the competition at the third-round stage because of their involvement in UEFA competition.
The Carabao Cup can offer Bournemouth a realistic route towards silverware, and progressing beyond the third round should be the minimum expectation. With several Premier League giants potentially providing a far tougher challenge, Lincoln in terms of ranking amongst the teams left in the draw is arguably one of the better opponents Bournemouth could have drawn.
Ultimately, this is a tie Bournemouth fans can be excited to see the likes of Ben Gannon-Doak, Daniel Jebbison, Alex Toth, Alvaro Rodriguez and other players who impressed in pre season but haven't been given the nod to start at the start of the Premier League campaign to prove their worth and send the Cherries into round 4 of the EFL Cup.
Reuters/Jason Cairnduff