BOSS Eddie Howe expressed his belief in stricken Ryan Allsop and backed the keeper to return stronger from his battle with glandular fever.

The talented young stopper has been unable to train with Cherries for more than a month due to the illness.

Allsop made a big name for himself in the closing stages of Cherries’ promotion campaign but endured mixed fortunes in his 13 appearances this term and was sent off in Cherries’ 2-1 defeat at Leeds in October. He was then hit by glandular fever but Howe yesterday reported positive news on the 21-year-old.

Howe told the Daily Echo: “He has been away from the players and he has been away from the club. It has been a really low time for Ryan. Nobody wishes that illness on anybody. It is a really tough one to get over and to fully feel 100 per cent.

“He has had a really tough spell but he will come back from this mentally stronger and he will, hopefully, be ready to train soon.

“You forget how young he is and when he came in last season, we were in the middle of a promotion battle and it was a huge mental test for a 20-year-old goalkeeper. He came in as though he had played here for his whole career. I thought he was outstanding.

“The demands are a lot higher in the Championship and Ryan will have seen that from his time in the team at the start of the season but we believe in him and we believe he will come back and be a really good goalkeeper. With some more work behind the scenes, he will only improve.”