EDDIE Howe is confident Emerson Hyndman will recover from his foot injury in time for the first day of Cherries' pre-season training.

The American midfielder has returned to Vitality Stadium after being forced to cut short a hugely successful loan stay with Scottish giants Rangers, where he impressed enough in 17 games to be named the club's young player of the year.

Hyndman has made only one Cherries start – against Millwall in the FA Cup – following his move from Fulham last summer.

But Cherries boss Howe recently insisted the player, who scored four goals during his time north of the border, remained a major part of his plans. And he has now been boosted by the news that Hyndman's injury will not require surgery.

Howe told the Daily Echo: "We don’t think the injury is too bad and we hope Emerson will be with us from the first day of pre-season.

"There is a slight problem with a bone in his foot but it doesn’t require an operation. We think it will heal itself."