BOSS Eddie Howe says it is down to Lewis Grabban to decide whether he has a future at Vitality Stadium.

The £7million striker joined Championship Reading on loan on deadline day having scored just once since his return to Cherries 13 months ago.

Grabban, who fired a second-tier club record of 22 goals in 2013-14, is due to remain with Reading for the rest of the season.

Questioned on whether the former Norwich frontman had a future at Cherries, Howe said: "That will, ultimately, be decided by what Lewis wants.

"If he wants a future here, does well on loan and comes back with renewed fight and vigour in pre-season, then of course there is a future here for him.

"But he was desperate to play and we wanted to accommodate that."

The day after Grabban's departure, fellow striker Callum Wilson suffered a season-ending knee injury in training.

Asked if he would have let Grabban go on loan had he known of Wilson's injury first, Howe said: "Lewis hasn't really featured in recent months and neither has Lys Mousset – and they are two players who play the same position.

"We've got to make sure when players come into training every day that they are motivated to train well and play well.

"If there are too many players there, that is sometimes difficult so I don't think I'd have made a different decision.

"With Sam Surridge coming through, we really want to push on our younger players."