GOALKEEPER Asmir Begovic missed Cherries’ Championship opener with Blackburn due to a dead leg, according to manager Jason Tindall.

The Cherries boss said the former Chelsea stopper had collided with Chris Mepham in training on Friday, ruling him out of the clash with Rovers.

Asked about the keeper after his side’s 3-2 victory, Tindall said: “Unfortunately, Asmir and Chris Mepham sort of almost collided in training. At the time I thought both of them would be struggling.

“Asmir came off worse with a dead leg, I think it was Meps’s knee into Asmir’s thigh.

“He had a bit of treatment after training. He failed a fitness test.

“With a dead leg, hopefully it shouldn’t keep him out too long.”

Begovic played for Cherries in a pre-season friendly at Benfica, before going away on international duty for Bosnia & Herzegovina.

He spent last season loan at Azerbaijani outfit Qarabag and Italian giants AC Milan.