AFC Bournemouth forward Joshua King will miss tomorrow afternoon's clash with Blackburn Rovers, but should return to the club next week, Jason Tindall has said.

The Cherries begin their Sky Bet Championship campaign with a home clash against Blackburn at the Vitality Stadium tomorrow, but they will be without their in-demand forward.

King is said to be a target for the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham ahead of this season, with speculation mounting over his future on the South Coast.

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King scored six goals and registered four assists in 26 Premier League appearances for Bournemouth last season, and now has some high-profile clubs chasing his signature.

Bournemouth boss Tindall has revealed that King will be missing for the Cherries tomorrow, but not because of speculation.

Via the Bournemouth Echo, the manager said: "I am in regular contact with Josh. He has been away on international duty with his country – picked up a little knock, so he won’t be involved at the weekend.

"He will be back with us next week.

"To add Kingy to the group is only going to make us better, so looking forward to getting him back and, until such time anyone tells me different, then I am looking forward to having Kingy back with the group."

Bournemouth will be looking to pick up three points against Rovers tomorrow, but it remains to be seen how they cope without the likes of King, Nathan Ake and Callum Wilson.

The Verdict

It could be hard for Bournemouth to pick up a win tomorrow.

Blackburn are a decent side who have been pushing for the play-offs since returning to the Championship, and they will give it a right go this term.

Bournemouth have lost a lot of key players this summer but have seemingly failed to replace them, so without the likes of King, Wilson, Ake and Aaron Ramsdale, I think they will struggle tomorrow.