Bournemouth’s Jamal Lowe could be out of the side’s next game against Barnsley this weekend.
The Cherries could be without Lowe for their clash with the side bottom of the Championship due to a reported positive Covid-19 test.
According to Dorset Live, Lowe is set to miss the match as he has tested positive for the virus.
Lowe competed for 67-minutes in Scott Parker’s side last weekend as they slumped to a 1-0 defeat to Hull City at home.
The forward has featured 19 times in the Championship so far this season, but Saturday’s loss was only his fifth start of the campaign.
Lowe has two goals and two assists to his name in the league for Bournemouth. His absence will be an unwanted headache for Parker.
Jefferson Lerma also tested positive, which was confirmed last Sunday when he pulled out of Colombia’s World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Argentina.
Lowe’s time in isolation is said to have started on Sunday as well, as per the UK government’s current guidelines for a positive test.
Parker will be in front of the press on Thursday ahead of the weekend’s game with Barnsley where he will have the chance to clarify the news, with Bournemouth yet to confirm the story.
Bournemouth are currently third in the Championship, with 49 points from 27 games. The Cherries are three points behind second place Blackburn Rovers, but they do have a game in hand on their promotion rivals.
Parker’s men are now eight points adrift of league leaders Fulham due to a recent run of bad form that has seen them lose their last two league games.
Barnsley will offer a chance to turn their fortunes around, with last year’s play-off also-rans on a three game losing streak of their own at the bottom of the table.
The two sides meet on January 29 at the Oakwell Stadium.
The Verdict
Lowe is by no means the most important player in the Bournemouth side but he has offered the team a lot from the bench this season.
He has chipped in with the odd goal and is a reliable player to call upon from the bench.
His absence will be felt if Parker’s side are struggling to find a breakthrough against the Barnsley defence.
Hopefully this will be the only game Lowe needs to sit out through Covid-19 isolation and he should be back in training in no time.