'Concerns' - How Aston Villa's relegation rivals are dealing with positive Covid test

Bournemouth and Aston Villa are two of more than six sides who are looking to avoid relegation when football resumes next month

Eddie Howe is proceeding with caution as Bournemouth prepare for the scramble towards safety when the Premier League restarts.

The Cherries are a chief rival to Aston Villa in the battle to avoid relegation; they sit directly above them in the league table as things stand, although Villa have a key game in hand against Sheffield United to play out first.

Bournemouth, who have completed a league double over Villa already this season, are currently in the bottom three on goal difference - they have the same number of points as West Ham and Watford - but as Howe points out, health comes before all else at this time.

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The south coast club were hit hard by the confirmation of a coronavirus case in their ranks recently when it emerged that goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale had tested positive.

That put things into perspective for boss Howe.

“I certainly have concerns, if that’s the right word,” Howe told Kris Temple. “If there are more positive tests within the squad, or if any of my staff fell ill, or their families, I’d feel that responsibility personally.

“Health for me has always come above sport, and football, so that’s where I’m at - but I’m very keen to get back to work, and to playing football again.

“It’s just making sure, as much as we can do, that people are protected. That’s of the utmost importance and above anything else.”

Now that the Premier League clubs have been given a provisional return date, pencilled in for the middle of next month, Howe feels his players have benefitted from a concrete piece of news.

Amid a tricky period of fixtures in the Cherries’ run in, Howe is tipping his players to pick up points where they’re not expected to and continue in the top flight where they’ve remained since 2015.

“They’re incredibly tough games, but that’s what we’re here for - we’re in the Premier League, and we want to stay in the Premier League,” Howe insisted.

“We’re desperate to continue our journey at this level, so we have to go into those grounds and try and get results. We’ve done it before at some of those grounds, and we’ll have to do it again."