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MAURICIO Pellegrino will turn to his Everton heroes and fresh legs at neighbours AFC Bournemouth tomorrow – but admits he also has the “bigger picture” to consider.
The 46-year-old manager deployed a defensive 3-5-2 formation during the narrow 2-1 defeat at Manchester City, but is planning to return to a more attacking outlook at the Vitality Stadium.
As well as swapping back to the 4-2-3-1 system, that will also mean recalling many of the top performers from the 4-1 thrashing of the Toffees.
It is likely two-goal man Charlie Austin, Sofiane Boufal, Dusan Tadic, Steven Davis and James Ward-Prowse will all be recalled for the Cherries trip.
However, Pellegrino is also fully aware that Saints have a jam-packed schedule, with eight games in the space of a month, and needs to be aware of this when making his selection.
“I will change a little bit, thinking about Sunday, because we had a difficult game the other day, physically,” Pellegrino explained.
“I’ve got some of them fresh and ready to play, especially in attack.
“But in the next two games we don’t know, we never know what will happen in the future, we’ll just think about Sunday.
“The next game is the most important but you also have to see the bigger picture a little bit.
“Always I try to give chances to players who deserve to be on the pitch, not just because it’s part of the squad, that’s completely different."
Saints looked comfortable and organised in the 3-5-2 system at City, but, while Pellegrino envisages using that formation again, he’s not sure if he’s ready to deploy it every game.
“Yes, it could be, it’s another possibility, we’ve got people to do it,” he said, when asked if the 3-5-2 will be used again.
“Depending on the opponent we can show the stronger side of the team, too.”
But the Argentine will likely return to the 4-2-3-1 set-up tomorrow.
“I think my team is more comfortable playing this way, but I believe more in the style than the shape,” he said.
“The shape is something we have to organise with and without the ball and in different ways.
“The most important is the dynamic to create between the players. But we showed we can play in a different way, with character.”
Pellegrino is relishing a trip to Cherries tomorrow and believes it will be a game full of emotion.
“This is the fifth derby in the Premier League, and the emotion of the game will make it tough,” he said.
"Obviously I know that Bournemouth want to grow and want to get better year by year, little by little.
"They want to keep the base of the team they have grown together.
"I admire this kind of job done by Eddie Howe, moving up from the Championship, and looking for improvements little by little. Every single year they try to be stronger.
“It’s good for the league to have English managers doing well.”
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