AFTER the excitement of the transfer window and a two-week break in fixtures, it is finally time for Cherries to return to action.

A self-enforced break due to the FA Cup defeat to Burnley at the start of January has allowed Cherries to tend to their injury list whilst also seeing them bolster their squad with a few new additions.

They travel to Brighton & Hove Albion this afternoon, with Roberto De Zerbi’s Seagulls flying high in the Premier League, sitting sixth at the time of writing.

The Amex will be bouncing following Brighton’s FA Cup victory over Liverpool last time out.

We already know that the hosts will be without former Cherry Adam Lallana and creative spark Alexis Mac Allister, but here are three things to ponder prior to kick-off.

Will Cherries’ new signings be involved?

After a flurry of activity to close the January transfer window, Gary O’Neil has a few more tools at his disposal.

Cherries’ first signing of the Bill Foley era, Dango Ouattara, was chucked straight into action, days after his arrival from FC Lorient.

The five players that followed have had a bit more time to acclimatise to life on the south coast.

It has been made very clear that Darren Randolph will serve as goalkeeping depth, a role he is familiar with after his stint at West Ham, so do not expect to see him involved at the weekend.

Illia Zabarnyi arrives at Cherries without a competitive game of football in four months, the Ukrainian league paused for the winter break. It is the 20-year-old’s first move out of the war-torn country, with Cherries keen to help him settle in his new home whilst getting him up to speed footballing-wise.

Antoine Semenyo arrived a few days before Matias Vina and Hamed Traore, meaning he should be closer to a start. His case for inclusion is strengthened by the absence of Dominic Solanke and Marcus Tavenier, with O’Neil suggesting that the pair will miss out at the weekend.

Cherries’ head coach also gave a hint to whether any of his new signings would start, sharing: “I think every situation is different.

“So I would expect some of the new boys to play a part, without wanting to give too much away. I think some of them will play a significant part.”

Brighton’s possession-based approach

Only once since De Zerbi took charge of the Seagulls have they finished a home game with less possession than their opponents, the 4-1 win over Chelsea that saw them have 41 per cent of the ball.

It is a fact that does not go unnoticed with O’Neil, who mentioned in his presser: good test. Obviously, they're a very good side. Going extremely well this season, have had a style of play and a process for years now – obviously the manager’s changed, but style of play seems to stay the same.

“Excellent recruitment, signed some fantastic players, increased their value. Yes, a real club in a real good place and a real clear style.

“They manage to dominate the ball. They had more than 50 per cent of the ball against Arsenal and Man City, which is impressive.

“No one no one does that, really.

“They have a real unique style, so we have to have an understanding of what the game is going to look, and feel like and then things in place for how we can cause them problems as well.”

With Cherries’ tactics predominantly based on hitting the opposition on the break, allowing other teams to dominate possession, it will be interesting to see if O’Neil’s side can execute their game plan properly.

First meeting of the season

With the reverse fixture postponed by the Queen’s passing in September, this will be the first meeting between the two sides this campaign, despite both teams being beyond the half-way mark.

Asked about preparing for an opponent for the first time, and whether there is a difference to a rematch, O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “We prepped for the last Brighton game, of course that was cancelled, but different manager and a different formation at that time.

“It's not too different really, because generally you would prepare for the game like it's a new game anyway. You don't take too much from the last one. So, yeah, a lot of work has gone in.

“Boys are obviously in a good place, understand what it's going to look like on Saturday and excited to see what we can produce.

“And of course the added excitement of some new additions is always nice.”