Source: Bournemouth_Echo
Cherries: Lovell's on the road to recovery
CHERRIES striker Steve Lovell is poised to step up his training as he bids to regain his fitness ahead of the start of the new season.[LNB] Lovell looked on from the sidelines as Cherries opened their warm-up campaign with a 4-0 defeat by Tottenham at Dean Court on Saturday.[LNB] The 29-year-old, whose last appearance came for former club Partick Thistle in March, had surgery to cure a long-standing ankle problem at the end of last season.[LNB] New signing Lovell was one of only four members of Eddie Howe's squad not to feature against Spurs, with Ryan Garry, Tim Stephenson and Danny Ings also among the crowd.[LNB] Defender Garry sat out as a precaution due to a tight groin, while teenage striker Ings is close to a return following a lengthy spell out.[LNB] However, Stephenson, who was recently promoted from the youth team ranks, has suffered a major setback after being struck down by a hernia.[LNB] Cherries boss Howe told the Daily Echo: Tim will require an operation which will rule him out for around three weeks.[LNB] Steve is recovering from his ankle operation. He is coming along but we don't expect to see him (in games) until towards the end of pre-season.[LNB] He has been out for a period of time and had quite a lot done to his ankle so we will have to step him up gradually. We don't want to push him too early.[LNB] We don't want to risk anyone if they are not feeling 100 per cent so Ryan was just precautionary. He should be fine for the coming week. We hope to see Danny soon and he is making good progress.[LNB] Missing games and training during pre-season is going to put them behind so we will have to assess them individually when they return to see how they are.[LNB] Warren Cummings (foot) and trialist Lyle Taylor (ankle) were the only two casualties from the Spurs clash, both succumbing to their respective injuries in the first half.[LNB] However, both could feature in this week's double header against Hamworthy Recreation tomorrow (6.30pm) and at Poole Town on Wednesday (7.45pm).[LNB] Howe added: We probably would have preferred those games before the Spurs match. They are good games for us and we can get a lot from them.[LNB] We will probably experiment, like we did against Spurs, and that's what pre-season is all about. We are looking at different things and playing people in different positions with the ultimate aim of being fully ready for Charlton.[LNB]
