Since then, star man Antoine Semenyo has departed. He remains their top scorer and the Cherries have lacked a cutting edge in attack recently, drawing blanks in three of their last four.
They had 22 shots against Burnley without finding the net – the most they’ve ever had in a top-flight game without scoring – prompting Iraola to admit: “It’s costing us a lot of points.”
The Spaniard will be hoping the 500-mile round-trip takes its toll on the visitors. His side have won three of their four Friday night games in the league, while United have won just one of their five.
United’s Champions League charge
Manchester United opened up a three-point gap between themselves in third and Aston Villa in fourth with a solid, if unspectacular, victory when the two sides met on Sunday.
A strong second-half showing gave head coach Michael Carrick five wins from five at Old Trafford in his second spell in charge, but he has found things a little trickier on the road, suffering his sole defeat against Newcastle United and relying on a late equaliser to hold West Ham United.
Portuguese playmaker Bruno Fernandes set up two goals in the Villa game to surpass David Beckham’s club record of 15 assists in a single Premier League season. Now, with eight games remaining, he has the overall record in his sights.