EDDIE Howe is confident that Cherries will be able to bolster the squad over the next fortnight as the loan market begins to rumble into action.

Although Cherries boss Kevin Bond is still working feverishly on bringing in permanent recruits, he also knows that the quality of the loan signings he can attract to the club will have a major bearing on the hopes for the new season.

With many Premiership and Championship managers now getting closer to completing their transfer activity, they are also now in the process of deciding which of their talented youngsters will be available for loan to gain experience.

And Howe believes that could present a significant boost to the Dean Court ranks.

He told the Daily Echo: "I'd imagine that the loans will start to happen over the next week or so and that will hopefully mean us picking up two, three or possibly even more players.

"Of course, we have a few specific targets in mind. You have to know the players you want to bring in and we have a list that we will work through, if and when they become available.

"Hopefully, we will be able to get our priority targets."

Southampton's David McGoldrick, Portsmouth's Marc Wilson and Chelsea duo Jack Cork and Ryan Bertrand were hugely successful short-term additions last term.

But it remains to be seen whether they will be allowed out on loan again - or indeed if rival clubs from higher divisions will compete with Cherries for their services.

Howe said: "Loans will often be last-minute decisions, but we always knew that would be the case.

"Clubs decide as pre-season progresses which of their players they would allow out on loan, so nothing has changed in that respect. But we're still confident things will come together and our squad will look pretty healthy on that first day of the season."

Howe, meanwhile, believes that tomorrow night's friendly with Portsmouth (7.45pm kick-off) represents a chance to start the more specific work leading up to the League One curtain-raiser at Nottingham Forest on August 11.

He said: "We haven't been able to work on anything specific to the team shape as yet. We've had a lot of trialists and a lot of the lads who you would expect to be in the team have had minor injuries that aren't worth risking.

"But over the next couple of weeks, we'll see the focus shift to how Kevin wants the team to play."