EDDIE Howe says the imminent return of frontmen Max Gradel and Callum Wilson will be like “new signings” to Cherries.

Gradel and Wilson have both been sidelined by serious knee injuries since the opening weeks of the season but are on the road to recovery.

And the pair were named in Cherries’ 25-man Premier League squad when it was re-declared earlier this week.

Gradel, a £7million summer signing from St Etienne, ruptured his cruciate ligament in just his fourth top-flight appearance for the club against Leicester in August.

And Wilson, leading goalscorer in the club’s promotion campaign, had netted five goals in Cherries’ first six games of the season before he suffered a similar fate at Stoke in September.

Asked for an update on the condition of the duo, Howe said: “I’d say they are pretty much in line.

“I wouldn’t expect to see Max back in the next couple of weeks but he will be working towards fitness. I would love to see him involved sometime in March, that’s the target for him.

“Callum is behind Max but on target for his return which was around April.

“We named them in the 25-man squad because we believe they will both be back before the end of the season so it’s all good news from their perspectives.

“If we are able to get them back to fitness and on good form, they will be like new signings for us at a key stage of the season.

“They could be really big for us and give everybody a huge psychological boost, not just the players themselves but everybody around them.

“I’m excited by the possibility of welcoming them back into the squad and what they can deliver because we know they are both high-class players.”

Howe also spoke about his decision to leave out Tokelo Rantie, who is currently injured, and Baily Cargill, who has joined Coventry City on loan for the rest of the season.

“TK is back in South Africa seeing his family at the moment,” said Howe. “He’s on crutches and there is nothing he can do physically towards his injury, it’s just a case of rest.

“We’re not quite sure how long he’s going to be out but, obviously, I had some difficult decisions to make within the squad and, unfortunately, a couple of players had to miss out.

“I feel a little disappointed for Baily in the respect I haven’t been able to give him more opportunities this season.

“Although the cup competitions are great for him, they aren’t enough. At his age, he needs to be playing week in, week out if he can. He needs those experiences and he needs to develop his career. The only way he is going to do that, we felt at this stage, is somewhere else.

“We really like Baily and we really believe in him long term. But this could be a key stage of his development and it’ll be really interesting to see how he does.”