EDDIE Howe insists "the best is yet to come" from Tyrone Mings as the defender prepares for a potential outing at big guns Arsenal.

Cherries' backline resources are currently under strain with record signing Nathan Ake and skipper Simon Francis both fitness doubts for the trip to Emirates Stadium a week today.

Boss Howe allowed Marc Wilson to join Championship Sunderland on transfer deadline day, while Baily Cargill linked up with Fleetwood on a season-long loan in mid-August.

That leaves the ever present Steve Cook and Mings as Cherries' only recognised central defenders, the latter of whom made his first start since March in the narrow home loss to Manchester City seven days ago.

Despite Cherries' defeat, converted centre-back Mings coped well with the significant attacking talent of the likes of David Silva, Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero.

And Howe admitted the former Chippenham Town defender had made a compelling case for further inclusion ahead of Cherries' return to action at the end of the international break.

Howe told the Daily Echo: "I thought Tyrone did very well against Manchester City. He carried on his form from the Birmingham game where he really was very good. I thought he deserved his start.

"He is a big part of our squad and did himself no harm at all with that performance.

"We have tweaked his position slightly and it has taken a little bit of time to get that work into him but he is improving every day.

"He's a great age, physically he is excellent and he is slightly different to what we have. Technically, he is very good and athletically he is good so I'm really pleased for him.

"The best is yet to come from him – and I'd say the same for all our players."

Howe on Thursday confirmed Ake faced a race against time to regain fitness ahead of the clash with Arsenal.

The 22-year-old sustained an ankle injury during the loss to Manchester City and subsequently withdrew from international duty with the Netherlands, ruling him out of World Cup qualifiers against France and Bulgaria.

Ake instead remained in Dorset, receiving intensive treatment from Cherries medical staff in a bid to get him up to speed.

Francis has featured just once this season, starting the curtain-raiser against West Brom. However, the versatile 32-year-old came off with a hamstring problem during the second half of the fixture in the Midlands.

Meanwhile, Cherries full-back Charlie Daniels has been nominated for the Premier League's Carling Goal-of-the-Month award.

Daniels crashed home a piledriver from an acute angle against Manchester City and will now take on Burnley's Stephen Ward, Liverpool's Sadio Mane, Stoke's Jese, Watford's Etienne Capoue, Chelsea's Marcos Alonso and Huddersfield's Aaron Mooy for the gong.

The winning goal will be decided by a combination of a panel of top-flight experts and a public vote.