SMITH ADDS TO CHERRIES’ WOES

BOURNEMOUTH’S fading promotion hopes have suffered a fresh blow after defender Adam Smith was ruled out for a month with an ankle injury.

Right-back Smith (inset) hobbled off during Saturday’s 3-2 defeat at home to Barnsley and joins Lewis Cook and David Brooks on the Cherries’ absentee list for tonight’s visit of Swansea.

Boss Jonathan Woodgate said: “Adam’s going for a scan. He won’t be fit for tomorrow or the weekend. So we’ll see how he is after that.

“Hopefully we get a prognosis off the medical team.”

In Smith’s absence, Jack Stacey is set to return to the starting line-up and Woodgate has told the former Luton star to seize his opportunity.

Hr said: “We’ve got two really good right-backs at the club.

“When Jack played against Burnley in my second game in charge, I thought he was very, very good.

“So we’re lucky to have that. “Obviously I’m gutted Smudger’s not available but now it’s an opportunity for Jack to come in and play.”

ENGLAND have missed out on another young starlet after Valencia whizzkid Yunus Musah opted to play for the USA.

Musah, who was with Arsenal’s youth set-up from the age of nine before moving to Spain in 2019, had played for England at Under-15, 16, 17 and 18.

Gareth Southgate was hoping to persuade the winger, 18, to commit to the Three Lions.

But Musah, who was born in New York and is also eligible for Ghana and Italy, said: “It was pretty clear for me to decide to play for the United States.

“It makes sense to represent the country I was born in.

“The project we have for the future is so exciting and it’s a great pleasure to be able to be a part of that. I can’t wait to get started.”

Three weeks ago, Bayern Munich’s highly-rated teenager Jamal Musiala rejected England to play for Germany.

PHILIP ZINCKERNAGEL warned cock-a-hoop Watford not to look too far ahead in the promotion race after their noisy celebrations upset Cardiff.

Their last-minute strike to beat the Bluebirds sparked wild scenes.

But the Danish playmaker says nothing less than keeping their foot on the gas will be enough when they face Rotherham tonight.

Zinckernagel said: “We need to live in the moment and not look too far ahead.

“It’s important to focus on the next game, not the last four or five, because if we don’t perform well now at the end it won’t matter.

“To win the way we did at Cardiff was massive for team spirit.

“When Adam Masina scored that goal, for sure, our emotions ran high, but I don’t know why anyone would complain about it.”