Soccer-Bournemouth tempo hindered by international break, says Howe

Oct 2 (Reuters) - The international break could hinder Bournemouth's ability to maintain their recent form in the Premier League as players struggle to retain match fitness over the next two weeks, manager Eddie Howe has said.

After starting their campaign with four consecutive defeats, Bournemouth recorded a win over Brighton and Hove Albion, a narrow defeat at Everton and most recently, a goalless draw with Leicester City and Howe is keen to maintain the rhythm.

"We would have wanted to build on the real positives," Howe told British media. "The past international break really did hinder us; a lot of players went away and didn't play.

"That's probably the biggest problem we have. They don't play for two weeks, they don't train for two weeks; they come back and look a little bit rusty. We hope that's not the case this time."

Bournemouth, who are 19th in the table, face a tough fixture list after the break as they travel to Tottenham Hotspur on Oct. 14, followed by a visit to Stoke City and a home game against champions Chelsea.

(Reporting by Aditi Prakash in Bengaluru; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)