BOSS Eddie Howe remains "confident" Cherries will kick off the Premier League campaign with adequate defensive cover and mooted recruitment as an option.

Marc Pugh played at right-back with Nathan Ake partnering Simon Francis at centre-half in tonight's 1-1 draw at Reading.

Steve Cook, Adam Smith, Baily Cargill and long-term injury-victim Tyrone Mings have all been sidelined this summer with Howe typically coy on their progress ahead of tomorrow's penultimate friendly at home to Cardiff (3pm).

The boss reported each player was "doing well" and replied that any of them could "possibly" feature against the Bluebirds at Vitality Stadium.

Addressing the current dearth of defenders, Howe told the Daily Echo: "Having two games to get teams together for this weekend is difficult. You need eight defenders and we don't have that at the moment.

"But we are confident we will have enough by the time the season starts, whether that means we will have to recruit or that we will have people back fit, we will have to wait and see."

Teenager Lewis Cook calmly slotted home his first goal for Cherries just before the break but his strike was cancelled out by John Swift, who pounced on some static defending five minutes after the restart.

Howe added: "It was a tough fixture and just the type of game we needed. Reading play an interesting brand of football and I think they will do well this season.

"The match was a really good physical test for us and we tried to make it a high-tempo game, which was important. I think we got the work we wanted out of it."

On Cook's contribution, he added: "I thought he did very well and he has enjoyed a good pre-season.

"He is not fazed at all by coming into a new changing room, I think he has adjusted very well and his finish was one of a very composed player.

"I was very pleased with his performance."