Source: Bournemouth_Echo
Cherries: Howe keen to protect striker
BOSS Eddie Howe insists Cherries must protect Michael Symes and tread carefully with the striker's patient comeback bid.[LNB] The big frontman has impressed since his summer move from Accrington Stanley but has seen a persistent shoulder problem restrict him to just six league starts this season.[LNB] Symes has not featured since the 1-1 draw at Brighton on October 9, but could be in the running for a return at Leyton Orient this afternoon (3pm).[LNB] The centre forward is back in training, although Howe could opt for caution when he considers whether to name Symes in his final squad for the clash at Brisbane Road.[LNB] His shoulder is now a lot better and he's training a lot better, revealed Howe.[LNB] He's not really feeling it too much now, so it's a case of when we decide that it's right to put him back in.[LNB] We've got a lot of games coming up in December and we're still in the FA Cup, so there are plenty of games coming up.[LNB] But we want to make sure, as always, he's 100 per cent fit and not 80 per cent and that his shoulder is strong enough to withstand any contact because he hasn't really had that yet.[LNB] It's all been non-contact and now we've got to try to introduce a little bit of contact and make sure he comes through that.[LNB] It is the second time this term that Symes has been forced to spend time on the sidelines because of the frustrating injury.[LNB] Howe added: We've got to try to protect him. We want him for the rest of the season we don't want him to break down again and be out for another two months.[LNB]
