Bournemouth need a fully-fit Josh King

With many key matches ahead of Bournemouth in the next few weeks, there is one player in particular that I am hoping has a good run in the team and remain injury free. Josh King is a talisman that can pull AFCB away from the threat of relegation. He has done it before, and his game is one that just goes from strength to strength when he does start to get on top of his game.

Josh faces a late fitness test for the Arsenal match.

The difficulty this season I think has been that Josh has not really been 100 per cent fit and it is all the niggles that he gets that stop him performing to the very highest levels. So it must be difficult for Eddie Howe to know when to risk him and when not to, but if he would benefit from resting a bit longer in January I wonder if AFCB would benefit more with holding him back for the match against West Ham and the February fixtures which are going to be fate deciding games in my opinion.

Bournemouth will try and win every game but there are some matches where they will be bigger favourites to pick up points and it is in those games when AFCB will really need King. But Josh has already been out for a few games now and turning on the form straight away will not necessarily be easy for him. What Howe will hope for is that he does not break down again quickly.

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With Jermain Defoe out and Lys Mousset and Benik Afobe not first picks it is going to be down to Callum Wilson and Josh King to carry AFCB's hopes in most games before Easter. But I'd advise Howe to spend a lot of time with Josh now to get him absolutely right. If Josh can be like the player he was last season he will be a saviour and Bournemouth are probably going to need one fairly soon if they are not going to be sweating on their survival with a few matches to go.