CHERRIES fans will have to wait a “little bit longer” to see the debut of one of their January signings Illia Zabarnyi.

The highly-rated Ukraine international joined the club from Dynamo Kyiv last month, on a deal understood to be worth around £24million.

The centre-back travelled with the squad to Brighton last weekend, but was not part of the matchday squad.

Boss Gary O’Neil revealed after the match Zabarnyi was carrying a knock picked up from his final training session with Dynamo before leaving to join Cherries.

Asked for an update on the 20-year-old’s fitness, O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “He’s going to be a little bit longer.

“I don’t know exactly how long.

“He seems like a real tough boy. He’s keen, wants to get going.

“He has a slight issue with his foot/ankle. So obviously we need to do what’s right by him as well.

“I don’t know exactly how long, but he won’t be available for the weekend.”

Zabarnyi was one of nine players who missed Cherries’ defeat at the Amex Stadium due to injury.

Fellow defender Jack Stephens, Lloyd Kelly and Ryan Fredericks all missed out, as did Junior Stanislas and Marcus Tavernier, who have not featured since the World Cup.

David Brooks, Dominic Solanke and Lewis Cook all too missed the Brighton clash.

Asked if any of the nine could return to face Newcastle United tomorrow (5.30pm), O’Neil said: “Yes, we’ll have some of them back.

“Dom’s trained well all week, Tav’s trained well. Fredo (Ryan Fredericks) and Junior have had a good week.

“So there’s a few back in and around it.

“I don’t know if they will be ready enough to be involved.

“Some of them have been modified a little bit on the grass, not full training.

“So I don’t know how many of them will make tomorrow. But a good week from an injury perspective.”