Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe has admitted that he remains unsure as to whether midfielder Harry Arter will play for the club again before the end of the season, or be fit for the European Championship, and insists that despite the looming international tournament, the player's longer-term recovery is his first priority

The 26-year-old has not played since injuring his Achilles during the first half of the Premier League game against Southampton and coming off at the break. Arter reported for international duty days later but had to leave the squad before the games against Switzerland and Slovakia in order to receive further treatment for the problem.

It has since proven more serious than initially thought and Martin O’Neill suggested on Thursday that the Bournemouth star could do with playing again before the end of the season in order to provide reassurance that he is on course to being fit enough to feature in France if required.

At his weekly regular pre-match press conference Howe acknowledged that making the squad for the European Championships is a major priority for his player but said that the Achillles problem is something that needs to be treated with at least one eye on ensuring Arter is not hindered by it again next season.

“Harry has improved but his injury is a niggly one,” he said, “and we need to make sure we protect his long-term future. It’s been difficult for him because he’s the type of character that wants to play, as they all do, every week.

“He missed pre-season, the first part and the tail-end of the season and in between he did really well. We just hope that he’s fit beyond this season and of course this summer is a big one for him. We will wait and see what happens.”

Stoke City's Jon Walters, faces a late fitness test before Saturday's game against Sunderland with the striker rated 50-50 for the game after having largely recovered from recent knee surgery.

Marc Wilson, however, misses the game after suffering a setback in a training game on Tuesday evening and while the defender later tweeted to say that the injury was not bad as initially suspected when he left the pitch this week, it remains unclear whether he can recover to the extent required to feature in City's final game of the campaign, at home to West Ham in two weeks time.