KEVIN Bond admits the absence of injured midfielder Danny Hollands is causing a formation dilemma and has hinted he may shuffle his pack for tonight's Carling Cup clash with Cardiff.

Bond looked on as Cherries played second fiddle for long periods to Gillingham on Saturday after he had opted to utilise Jo Kuffour as a lone striker in a 4-5-1 system.

A second-half switch saw Brett Pitman, who had been deployed on the left of a five-man midfield, join Kuffour as Cherries reverted to a more adventurous 3-5-2 formation.

Bond said: "With the players I've got at my disposal at this moment in time, we lend ourselves more to a 4-5-1 than we do to a 4-4-2.

"Without Danny Hollands, I haven't got a natural left-sided player so it was a case of trying to get the players into a system that suited them.

"I don't want to be playing square pegs in round holes if I can help it.

"I thought we had done more than okay in pre-season playing that way, although Jo Kuffour is way short on match fitness because he's only been training for a week following his operation.

"I'm not saying he didn't do well or didn't do the job, but no allowances are made for that once you put the shirt on and take to the pitch.

"Although he played in that wider role a number of times last season, it would have been much harder if we had played him there against Gillingham because there would have been more asked of him.

"I've watched the game again on video and, on reflection, I didn't think we were as disappointing as I felt we had been while I was watching it on Saturday.

"The problems we had were ones we caused ourselves and if we can eliminate those errors then teams won't cause us as many problems because it wasn't a case of them opening us up.

"I will have a look at it and see what I think we can do to give teams more of a problem without taking away from everybody's strengths in the side."

Pitman, who required five stitches to a facial wound against the Gills, could partner Kuffour against Cardiff if he is passed fit for selection, while Ryan Garry is Cherries' only other doubt with a groin strain.

Bond added: "I will put out my very best team in an effort to try to get something from the game. Cardiff are an accomplished team and they knock it about well.

"We need to show them some respect but can't just go into the game fearful about what they might do against us. We need to endeavour to cause them problems as well.

"Mindful of the fact I didn't think we caused Gillingham as many problems as I would have liked, I'll look at it and see if we can do something to make ourselves more of a constant threat."

Cherries: (from) Jalal, Bradbury, Pearce, Guyett, Garry, Bartley, Cooper, Anderton, Igoe, Pitman, Kuffour, Cummings, Ward, McQuoid, Pettefer, Partington, Pryce.

Cardiff City: (from) Enckelman, Blake, Purse, Loovens, Kennedy, Comminges, Scimeca, McPhail, Whittingham, Bothroyd, Parry, McCormack, Johnson, Ledley, Thompson, Dennehy, Brown, Heaton.