BOSS Eddie Howe is hoping Eunan O’Kane has been fortunate to escape serious injury following Daniel Pudil’s horror tackle during Cherries’ win over Watford.

Howe has revealed O’Kane is still not out of the woods but predicts the midfielder will only been sidelined for between four to six weeks by an ankle injury.

Pudil’s X-rated tackle, which went unpunished with a card by referee Lee Probert, resulted in O’Kane sustaining a grade two strain to the ligaments in his right ankle.

The Czech defender took to Twitter to apologise to O’Kane for the challenge, which was seen by millions of viewers in Friday’s Sky Sports-televised clash.

In an exclusive interview tonight with the Daily Echo, Howe said: “You know when Eunan stays down there is a problem. It was only when we saw the footage and the still frames of the tackle that we realised just how bad it was. Hopefully, Eunan has been fortunate.

“You never know for certain until a player comes back whether he will be totally free of injury but it looks like it is a lot less serious than we first feared. It looked like a really poor tackle and, hopefully, Eunan has avoided a serious injury.”

O’Kane’s absence has added to Howe’s problems in central midfield with Dan Gosling expected to be ruled out for between two to three weeks by an ankle injury.

Gosling had a scan after the joint had swelled following Cherries’ 1-0 defeat at Leeds last month and the damage was not as serious as had initially been feared.

However, teenage defender Baily Cargill could be set for an extended spell on the sidelines due to a hip problem. The 19-year-old recently attended the Villa Stuart Sport Clinic in Rome for treatment with Howe reporting he was “still some way away”.

Despite the injuries, Howe resisted the temptation to add to his squad ahead of tonight’s transfer deadline.

Howe said: “We have Tokelo Rantie back from international duty and Elliott Ward from a long-term injury which, potentially, could be like two new signings for us. We have a very competitive squad.

“A lot is made of the deadline but it is not the be-all and end-all for us. The loan window opens in seven days so we could still add to our squad between now and the end of the season.

“We will wait and see. We could be reactive if we needed to be with injuries and suspensions so we will wait and see what the best course of action is.”