CAUTIOUS boss Eddie Howe is adamant Cherries striker Callum Wilson must be ready to hit the ground running before he returns to Premier League action.

Wilson made his comeback from a serious knee injury in the Premier League Cup victory over Norwich City a fortnight ago.

He then scored twice as Carl Fletcher's under-21s side suffered a 3-2 defeat against their Cheltenham Town counterparts last week.

And the 25-year-old could be considered for selection when Fletcher's charges travel to Southend United in the Central League tomorrow (2pm).

With Wilson still building up his fitness, Howe warned the former England under-21s star would not earn a first-team matchday squad berth until his body returned to peak condition.

Asked how close Wilson was to a top-flight outing, Howe told the Daily Echo: "I would still say he is some way off.

"He is closer than he has been because he has had those two games under his belt but with the length of time he has been out, Callum has to get his fitness levels adjusted to the Premier League. I don't think he can do that in the Premier League.

"You can't build your form and rhythm in the games, you have to do that before the games to be at your best during the action because in this league, you cannot have someone who is not 100 per cent fit."

Former Coventry City hitman Wilson was rocked when he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a training session in February.

It came just 15 months after he had sustained the same injury to his right knee, forcing him to miss the majority of Cherries’ debut season in the top flight.

Howe revealed how Wilson's recent return to training had provided a boost for not only the player himself but also his team-mates.

The manager added: "When you lose a player of that quality, you certainly feel it at the time. But when they come back it is like having a new signing.

"Callum is such a positive person with such a great outlook on the game and the lads have noticed the energy he has brought in coming back. It's been a nice bounce-back for the players.

"There is real competition in the attacking area, an area you need that quality and Callum will sit nicely among those players. It will be interesting to see how things progress as the season unfolds."

In July, Wilson journeyed to the United States to work with world-renowned rehabilitation expert Bill Knowles, the director of reconditioning and athletic development at HP Sports.

As an organisation, HP Sports has worked with stars such as Tiger Woods, Jonny Wilkinson and Peyton Manning, as well as former Chelsea players John Terry and Frank Lampard.

Knowles has also lectured across the globe on athletic development and injury prevention strategies.