Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has warned he will not rush into the transfer market next month despite his side's precarious position in the Premier League.
The Cherries, who travel to Stamford Bridge for their Carabao Cup quarter-final tie against Chelsea on Wednesday evening, have slipped to 16th in the table, just one point above the relegation zone, following a six-match winless streak.
Howe's side were dealt a crushing 4-0 home defeat by Liverpool last weekend, but the Bournemouth boss is confident his squad can provide a swift turnaround in fortunes without the need for reinforcements in January.
"At the moment we are not looking at anything in January," Howe said at a press conference. "If we can keep the squad together, and pick up results than everything changes.
"In January, it is a very difficult window to make too many changes in terms of incomings. It is an incredibly expensive market with not too many players to choose from. Ideally we would not be doing too much in that market.
"Of course, injuries force your hand to a degree, but we are hopeful injuries suffered by the players are not serious. We need to be adaptable so it is not impossible."
Howe will be without defender Charlie Daniels and forward Joshua King for Bournemouth's visit to Chelsea after the duo sustained injuries in the defeat against Liverpool.
Howe is hopeful both Daniels, who lasted less than an hour against the Reds following a groin injury, and King, replaced after 31 minutes with a hamstring issue, will be fit to face Manchester City on Saturday.
But the Cherries manager suggested he will rotate his squad for their last-eight clash against Antonio Conte's side and ahead of the trip to the runaway Premier League leaders this weekend.
"There will be a certain number of changes as I don't want us to suffer any more injuries," Howe added. "We need to make sure we leave Stamford Bridge feeling good about ourselves again and having given a good account.
"This year, the top teams have been absolutely ruthless. Of course there are going to be upsets, but more consistently they have put their dominance together against the lesser sides.
"In our first and second years in the Premier League there were more upsets and unpredictable results, but the top teams have stamped themselves on the division this year. That leaves the rest of us fighting for survival."
Source: PA
