Eddie Howe: 'Win over Middlesbrough will not make us safe'

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has rejected suggestions that a win over Middlesbrough on Saturday would make his side safe from the threat of relegation.

The Cherries currently sit 16th in the Premier League table, seven points clear of the relegation zone with just five games of the season remaining.

The visit of struggling Boro gives Bournemouth a chance to return to winning ways after back-to-back defeats at the hands of Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, and Howe suggested that victory would at least be a big step towards securing safety.

"I am not going to say that one win will make us safe, but we are very motivated to win this game," he told reporters.

"We were on a really good run before playing the top two. We knew how hard this run was going to be, but we have come out mainly unscathed after it.

"Both teams are desperate to win, it should make it a really good spectacle, but hopefully one we can excel in."

Bournemouth have won just two of their last eight Premier League games at the Vitality Stadium.