JASON Tindall has admitted he is prepared to risk missing the start of next season in a bid to help boost Cherries' play-off chances.

The 25-year-old has unselfishly delayed plans to have an ankle operation and is vowing to play through the pain barrier to help Cherries' promotion push.

Tindall was due to go under the surgeon's knife to repair ligament damage to his troublesome left ankle early next month and would have been fit for the start of pre-season training in July.

But with Cherries securing a place in the play-offs, the defender has been forced to put off the operation and has been told he could now be ruled out for the start of next season.

Tindall told the Daily Echo: "We've worked it out that if I have the operation after the play-offs, I will miss most of pre-season and maybe the first couple of weeks of next season as well.

"It's really disappointing because pre-season is the most important part of the year and if you miss it then you are playing catch-up when you get back.

"You miss the intense training and getting a few friendlies under your belt and if the team starts the season well then it's hard to get your place back when you are fit.

"But first and foremost the most important thing for us now is to have as many people fit for the play-offs because we want to win our place back in Division Two. That's where we want to be next season.

"We've had a good season considering the amount of injuries we've had and our main aim has always been to bounce back at the first attempt.

"If it means me delaying my operation for a month or so and missing the start of next season to help the team do that then I haven't got a problem. We are all desperate to achieve promotion."

Tindall is ready to hit the comeback trail for the fourth time this season after recovering from a nagging thigh strain which has sidelined him for a fortnight.

The luckless Londoner was struck down by the problem just 32 minutes into a reserve outing at Norwich and days after he had returned from a three-week layoff due to a nagging hamstring injury.

Tindall, who was ruled out for two months after having surgery to repair knee cartilage damage in October, also aggravated his long-standing ankle injury during Cherries' defeat at Rushden in March.

He added: "I've had a bit of bad luck with injuries this season, but I think everybody has been hit by the jinx at some stage and you've just got to remain positive about things.

"I joined in training on Monday and it went okay.

"I am hoping to step things up today and tomorrow and there is every possibility I could be involved at Carlisle, depending on how my thigh feels.

"If it feels fine and the manager wants me involved in the squad or in the team then I'll play."

And providing he comes through unscathed, Tindall says he is also looking forward to the play-offs: "It's the first time most of us have ever been involved in anything like this. We were all really disappointed because we wanted to go up automatically but we didn't achieve that so the next best thing is getting into the play-offs.

"It's great to think we are just two games away from playing at the Millennium Stadium in front of anything up to 70,000 people because not many players can say they've done that.

"Also, we could be just three games away from being back in Division Two and that's where we want to be so to achieve that would be fantastic."