Bournemouth v AC Milan preview: kick-off time, team news and form

Bournemouth welcome AC Milan to the Vitality Stadium on Thursday 22nd October 2026, with kick-off set for 8.00pm UK time, in what is already being billed as a special night on the south coast.

The Cherries sit top of their Europa League section having won both games so far this season, and victory here would cement an unbeaten start to the League Phase. Marco Rose's side come into the game having further cemented their place in the competition's top eight, and the head coach says Bournemouth are "confident" of taking all three points against the Italian visitors, as reported by the Bournemouth Echo (Bournemouth Echo). Rose has also described the occasion as a "huge game" for the club, though he was careful to put it in perspective alongside the club's history, referencing the famous 2009 victory over Grimsby that kept Bournemouth in the Football League, according to the Bournemouth Echo (Bournemouth Echo).

In the Premier League, Bournemouth currently sit 15th, and recent form has been mixed domestically - a heavy defeat at Chelsea sandwiched between European wins - but the Cherries have bounced back with victories over Sturm Graz in Europe and Sunderland in the league. Milan, meanwhile, arrive on the back of a strong run themselves, including a big away win in the Europa League and a come-from-behind victory over Atalanta in Serie A, though they dropped points in a draw with Sassuolo and lost their opening continental fixture of the season. Both sides go into Thursday with plenty of goals in them.

There's plenty at stake beyond just the three points. Bournemouth owner Bill Foley has made clear his ambitions for the club, telling talkSPORT he wants to bring Champions League football to the south coast and that he believes his side are "favourites" to beat Milan (talkSPORT). The fixture has also captured the imagination locally, with Bournemouth's mayor Roberto Rocca - whose family support Milan - confirming he will nonetheless be cheering on the Cherries, as reported by the BBC (BBC Sport) (Bournemouth Echo). There's even a historical link between the two clubs, with the BBC noting how Milan helped inspire Bournemouth's famous red and black striped kit back in the 1970s (BBC Sport).

On the team news front, Justin Kluivert is "definitely ready" to start after building up fitness with two substitute appearances following injury, the Bournemouth Echo reports (Bournemouth Echo). There was also a boost in training as Eli Junior Kroupi returned to full training, though reports suggest he won't be risked for this one and is instead being targeted for the weekend's Premier League fixture, as detailed by the Bournemouth Echo and Sports Mole (Bournemouth Echo) (Sports Mole). Rose made wholesale changes for last week's Sturm Graz win and rotated again for the Sunderland game, so further tweaks to the starting line-up are likely, according to the Bournemouth Echo (Bournemouth Echo). Kluivert has also sent a message to supporters ahead of the game, urging fans at the Vitality Stadium to keep the noise up, telling them "don't stop singing" (Bournemouth Echo).

Kick-off at the Vitality Stadium is 8.00pm UK time on Thursday 22nd October.

Written with the help of AI, using the match facts and the headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.