Cup can be tonic...for both clubs

Bournemouth's Marc Wilson (second right) celebrates with team-mate Simon Francis (right) after he scored their second goal during the League Cup second-round win at Morecambe

Bournemouth and Preston both go into their League Cup meeting on the back of heavy league defeats and with the intention of using the full depth of their squads to try and bounce back.

At the same time PNE were being thrashed 5-0 at Brentford, the Cherries lost 4-0 at Manchester City.

It is likely that City will do that to a number of teams over the course of the season and Bournemouth were far from disgraced.

In fact, City manager Pep Guardiola was suitably impressed by Eddie Howe’s men – rating them the best side they had faced so far this season.

“Bournemouth were until now the best team, who create more problems when they have the ball,” said Guardiola.

“The other teams play long balls and they want to play and our high pressing was not perfect.”

North End manager Simon Grayson has said he will make changes for the trip to the south coast and judging by what he did in the second round, Cherries boss Howe will do too.

For their 2-1 extra-time win at Morecambe last month, the Bournemouth team had shown 10 changes from their Premier League outing at West Ham three days earlier.

That side was still worth a few quid – £40m in fact – with Benik Afobe, Lewis Grabben, Max Gradel, Brad Smith, Junior Stanislas and Dan Gosling among those to feature.

Gradel and Marc Smith scored the goals to get them past the Shrimps.

With Everton next up in the league on Saturday, many of the regulars are set for a rest rather than take on the Lilywhites.

Reflecting on the defeat at City, Howe said: “It was a tough day, Manchester City to their credit were excellent.

“We did fear that if they had got into top gear, it was always going to be difficult.

“That said, the first two goals from our perspective, were disappointing.

“The first one went under our wall and the second was from our set-piece. I think you are always looking to learn and when you play against the very best, your learning is obviously accelerated.”

Preston and Bournemouth met at this stage of the competition last season.

The tie at Deepdale went to penalties after a 2-2 draw, Jordan Hugill and Daniel Johnson on target for PNE, with Shaun MacDonald and Marc Pugh having netted for the visitors – Bournemouth won the shoot-out 3-2.

North End’s last visit to Dean Court came in August 2012 during Graham Westley’s time in charge.

They drew 1-1 that day in a League One clash, Tommy Elphick giving PNE the lead before Akpo Sodje levelled with a header.

Later that season, Preston beat the Cherries 2-0 at Deepdale in John Dreyer’s one game in charge as caretaker manager. Stuart Beavon and Bailey Wright found the net that day.