Source: Bournemouth_Echo
Cherries: Howe hoping to avoid asking league for back-up keeper
EDDIE Howe is hoping to avoid asking the Football League for help as he anxiously awaits news on the fitness of key goalkeeper Shwan Jalal.[LNB] The highly-rated star was forced to miss Saturday's FA Cup defeat against Notts County after twisting his left ankle in training last week.[LNB] With a testing trip to Barnet tomorrow, Jalal is undergoing intensive treatment in a bid to overcome the untimely injury.[LNB] Rookie Dan Thomas, 18, deputised at the weekend but, with the youngster also less than 100 per cent fit, Howe could be forced to request an emergency loan.[LNB] While the Cherries boss is hopeful the league would look sympathetically on the situation despite the club's ongoing transfer embargo, good news on Jalal would be the preferable outcome.[LNB] We're waiting to see how bad Jalal's injury is and we're hoping that he will be okay, Howe told the Echo.[LNB] We don't know if he's going to be fit for tomorrow or not. Dan had a back spasm on Thursday also, so he wasn't 100 per cent fit on Saturday.[LNB] We'll have to assess it and try to get Jal up to speed as quickly as we can.[LNB] The emergency loan is a situation if Dan's back is still playing him up and Jal's injury doesn't recover. Then we may go to the league and ask them for a goalkeeper.[LNB] We'd wait and see on their answer but we'd be hopeful they would allow us to bring one in.[LNB] If Jal's fit then there would be no need to bring anybody in but we won't know that until probably tomorrow morning.[LNB] The Cherries boss praised Thomas after he was thrown in at the deep end against County, but it is no secret that Jalal is one of the club's most influential players.[LNB] Howe added: A good goalkeeper is so important to a good team.[LNB] Jal's been outstanding this season and he's been a big reason why we've done so well, so we're very keen to get him back fit.[LNB] He was in getting treatment yesterday and we're keeping all our fingers crossed that he will be okay.[LNB] Former Tottenham Hotspur trainee Jalal twisted his left ankle, his kicking leg, in training on Thursday.[LNB] He was unable to recover in time for Saturday.[LNB]
