SIRIKI Dembele will have a part to play for Cherries this season, according to interim boss Gary O’Neil.

January signing Dembele is still yet to make his Premier League debut or make an appearance in any competition this season for Cherries.

The winger was left out of the squad that defeated Norwich City in the Carabao Cup, with then boss Scott Parker admitting a potential move away from the club was in the offing.

After strong links to sign for Turkish giants Besiktas, former Grimsby and Peterborough man Dembele remained at the Vitality Stadium after the closing of the summer transfer window.

O’Neil has named the Ivorian-born forward on the bench in all but one of his five games in charge, with the interim head coach stressing the 26-year-old is important.

When asked how far from an appearance Dembele was, O’Neil stated: “He's not far outside at all. They're all important to me at every moment.

“I'm considering all options. I'm always thinking how Dembs (Dembele) could impact it at all times.

“Similar to all the others, really. They're always key in my thoughts and my preparations for the game.”

With 25 players registered, plus young defender James Hill eligible due to being under-21, O’Neil has a plethora of options for selecting a matchday squad of 20.

He restarted: “That's going to be the most difficult part of the job, because the team on Saturday is the most important thing and making sure you get it right.

“We have talent in our group, no doubt, as do the other 19 teams.

“Every game is going to be tough, but we do have tools and we need to make the most of them to get as many points as we can.”