Source: Bournemouth_Echo
Cherries: Lovell aiming for New Year return
EDDIE Howe is hoping long-term injury victim Steve Lovell will be ready for a return in the New Year after undergoing fresh ankle surgery.[LNB] The Cherries boss reported that Lovell, who is his younger brother, passed a thorough medical prior to being snapped up on a one-year contract in the summer.[LNB] But Howe revealed that complications resulting from a routine clear-out operation in April led to the striker breaking down on the second day of pre-season training.[LNB] The former SPL star, who scored goals north of the border for the likes of Dundee and Aberdeen, has since been restricted to a frustrating watching brief due to the ankle problem.[LNB] Howe told the Echo: We've had a couple of complications from that operation and, through no fault of his own, he's found himself struggling to get fit.[LNB] He's been to see a couple of different surgeons and, hopefully, this time he's got the problem sorted and he's now on the road to recovery.[LNB] The Cherries boss admits it is going to be a long process for Lovell, but he is keen to see the 29-year-old return as soon as possible to bolster the club's attacking resources.[LNB] Howe added: It was a big blow for us because we had real high hopes for Steve.[LNB] When you look at his pedigree and the goals he's scored and the level he's scored his goals at, we felt he was going to be a really big player for us this year.[LNB] But that's how football goes sometimes. It can happen to anybody. Steve's done nothing wrong but, unfortunately, he's had to spend a lot of time trying to find out the cause and extent of his injury.[LNB] In August, Lovell offered to only draw 50 per cent of his monthly salary until such time as he is fit to return to action.[LNB]
