Eli Junior Kroupi's debut campaign in the Premier League won an array of plaudits, but the start to his second season in England's top-flight has been delayed due to injury.
The precocious forward broke the Premier League record for most goals in a debut season by a teenager as he netted 13 for Bournemouth last term, eclipsing the previous landmark figure of 12 which was set by Robbie Fowler in 1993/94 and Robbie Keane in 1999/00.
Kroupi's goals propelled Bournemouth into the UEFA Europa League as the Cherries achieved European qualification for the first time in the club's history, and the French forward was expected to maintain his compelling trajectory after breaching the top 10 of the prestigious Golden Boy rankings.
However, Kroupi suffered a freak foot injury during Bournemouth's pre-season training camp in Austria, leaving Marco Rose without his star marksman for the start of the 2026/27 campaign.
We've taken a look at the earliest possible date Kroupi could return to first-team action.
When is Eli Junior Kroupi expected to return from injury?
The initial diagnosis on Kroupi's foot injury suggested the French forward faced three to four months out.
He subsequently underwent successful surgery on the fractured fifth metatarsal and is now in the early stages of his rehabilitation.
Bournemouth were initially optimistic that the earliest Kroupi Jr could return is towards the end of October, and that looks set to be the case with Kroupi back in training ahead of the trip to Manchester United on Sunday 25th October.
Sky Sports' Mark McAdam revealed the forward is in contention to feature in the Premier League fixture at Old Trafford, but he won't be available for Bournemouth's Europa League clash against Milan three days prior.
