ANDONI Iraola insisted he had full “trust” in Milos Kerkez as the youngster prepares for a recall to the team this weekend.

Kerkez impressed after being thrown straight into action, following his £15.5million summer arrival from AZ Alkmaar.

The Hungary international started Cherries’ first nine Premier League matches of the season, producing some eye-catching displays from left-back.

But after a couple of defensive errors, Iraola dropped Kerkez to the bench and instead selected Lloyd Kelly in that position, the 25-year-old impressing.

Kerkez has started just one of the past four league games, the 6-1 defeat at Manchester City, coming off the bench twice and not featuring in another.

But he is set to come back into the team when Aston Villa visit Vitality Stadium on Sunday (2pm), with the news Kelly is set for a spell out due to a hamstring injury.

Assessing Kerkez’s start to the season, Iraola told the Daily Echo: “With Milos, I don't think there are a lot of players of his age that have that many minutes this season in the Premier League.

"He has played a lot for us. I think he is improving. He knows he has to add more things to his game. He needs the experience that only the games will give you.

"Here, the demands for a full-back, offensively and defensively, are really high. The opposition you will face, the one against ones you will face are going to be tough for every full-back here in the league.

"But it is this process that will make him a better player and we trust him 100 per cent for the games we need him to play now."

Asked if the spell out of the starting line-up has given the 20-year-old a chance to reflect on a whirlwind few months, Iraola added: “We try to improve the players, even the ones that are starting every week.

“We are trying to work with them, trying to improve them. We are trying to cover this left side of the defence with Milos, Lloyd and Marcos Senesi.

“But it is good competition. For me, tough decisions, but good for the team that we can leave Milos one day, Lloydy one day, Marcos one day out of the starting XI.

“It means they have to continue performing, otherwise another one will play.”

First-choice full-backs in recent weeks Kelly and Aarons are both currently out with hamstring issues.

Asked if he feels the nature of the injuries has been down to the workload required from full-backs in his system, Iraola said: “Normally whenever we play three games in a week, it takes more from the wingers and full-backs.

"They are more explosive and it is a little bit more risky for them.

“But the only reason why Max and Lloydy are the only ones who had muscle injuries in a long time, I don't know if it is just because of the position.

"Whenever an injury happens, it is not only one reason. But it is true that we lost two players that were performing really well."