Fabian Schar Injury: Avoids broken ankle

Schar (ankle) did not break his ankle following his injury in Wednesday's match against Leeds, but is still expected to miss a lengthy period, coach Eddie Howe confirmed in a press conference. "Hopefully not too bad, or maybe not as bad as it initially looked. He's got an injury there but no break, it is ligament damage. He is seeing a specialist in the next coming days to get a definitive answer but maybe more positive than the initial assessment. Losing Fabian is a huge blow."

Schar's exact recovery timeline remains unclear, though the initial tests have provided positive news after there was fear of a broken ankle as a worst-case scenario. The defender is unlikely to feature over the next few weeks while he undergoes further assessment. Meanwhile, Malick Thiaw and Sven Botman could feature at center-back, with Dan Burn (ribs) adding an option assuming he recovers sooner than Schar.