DORCHESTER Town manager Steve Thompson retains hope of welcoming winger Antonio Diaz back to the Avenue Stadium after the teenager was recalled by parent club Bournemouth.
Diaz, 18, had signed on a work experience loan from the Cherries and made nine appearances for the Magpies before returning to the Vitality Stadium, where he has continued his efforts with the club’s under-18 set-up.
Thompson explained that the Cherries’ busy upcoming fixture schedule was the main contributing factor in Diaz’s recall, but remained positive about the chances of a second spell at Dorchester for the Spaniard.
He told Echosport: “I had a good chat with (Bournemouth’s) under-18s manager and there’s a good prospect, a good chance, that we can get him back before the end of the season.
“They have a lot of games coming up, 18s and 21s, so he’s needed for those, he’s their player.
“But there is the possibility of getting him back when the games thin out which could be at the start of March.
“Antonio’s done well for us, so I’d like to get him back but obviously that’s Bournemouth’s decision.”
Dorchester were without Ed Bastick (hip) and Dom Panesar-Dower (illness) for the 1-0 win over Kings Langley on Saturday.
The duo’s absence resulted in
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Dorchester naming just four substitutes, and Thompson said: “Ed got injured, he’s slipped on the floor at home and has tweaked his hip flexor.
“Hopefully he’ll be fit and available for Saturday. I think if we had a midweek game it would be touch and go.
“But I think with it being Saturday he should be fit and available, or I’m hoping so, for that one.
“Dom was taken ill (on Friday) night. I only found out when I got to the ground, so that was a little bit of a misunderstanding.
“He wasn’t fit to play, you could see that. He looked washed out, wiped out, with illness. Dom’s had a little bit of illness lately and this might have been a relapse but he certainly looked in no fit condition to play.
“We were going to have him on the bench to have a fifth sub, but he wasn’t right for that.”
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