CHERRIES boss Eddie Howe admitted his injury worries had been tempered by Adam Smith's versatility.

The Dorset club were without wingers Jordon Ibe and Marc Pugh for Saturday's 1-1 draw with Leicester City due to hamstring and calf problems, respectively.

Scotland wide man Ryan Fraser did not start due to a back complaint, being deemed fit enough for the bench.

That meant Smith, most commonly used by Howe at full-back or wing-back, was handed a spot on the right of midfield.

Howe told the Daily Echo: "We are very stretched in wide areas, hence Adam playing there against Leicester and I thought he was outstanding.

"The beauty of Adam is he can play in different positions. He is a versatile performer and I was very pleased with him on Saturday.

"Wherever you put him, he does a good job. He understands the game very well, technically he's very good and athletically he's excellent."

Asked if Fraser's injury was minor, Howe said: "We hope so, yes. We aren't too sure. It surfaced on Friday.

"We didn't feel he was fit enough to start so that's certainly an area of concern."

Cherries are due to face Havant & Waterlooville in the Hampshire Senior Cup semi-final tomorrow (7.45pm).

Asked if there was a chance of involvement for first-team players at Westleigh Park, Howe said: "On the back of the injuries we had going into the Leicester game, probably not."