CHERRIES manager Eddie Howe has left the door open for Lee Tomlin and insists: “There is always a way back.”

Summer signing Tomlin this week completed a loan move to Bristol City until the end of the season – five days after a series of posts regarding the frontman’s future had been posted on his official Twitter account.

The tweets, which were later deleted, said: “A lot of speculation about my future over the past week. I don’t even know what’s happening myself or if I’ll be allowed to leave or not.

“For me, my dream is to play in the Premier League as long as I can but if I am not wanted then I will leave.”

Howe promised he would be “dealing internally” with Tomlin in the wake of the posts and the former Middlesbrough striker, who joined Cherries for £3million, was allowed to leave the club.

However, boss Howe insisted the 27-year-old, who last featured in the Premier League against Newcastle in November, could find a route back into first-team contention at Cherries.

Fielding a question put to him by the Daily Echo, Howe said: “There is always a way back for players.

“Lee has gone out to get games. We felt with the change in system and with the strikers we had brought in, it was difficult to see him playing for us in the short term.

“He needs to get games and get properly match fit. Obviously, because he has not played, you lose match sharpness so it’s a really good opportunity for him towards the end of the season to find his form.”

Meanwhile, Howe scotched speculation that Tokelo Rantie was set for a move away from Cherries and confirmed the pacy striker was still struggling with an injury picked up in the FA Cup win at Birmingham at the start of this month.

The South Africa international was earlier this week linked with a move to Belgian side Sint-Truiden in media reports in his homeland.

It remains to be seen whether Rantie will be included in Cherries’ 25-man squad for the second half of the season.

Howe said: “TK took a blow to the leg against Birmingham which we didn’t think was too serious at the time. But a scan revealed a slight problem with one of his bones.

“He is back home in South Africa now and can’t do anything for a couple of weeks.

“He will then start his rehab and we anticipate he will be out for six weeks from the challenge.

“He is not going to go anywhere at the moment due to the injury.”