Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe insists his side's Carabao Cup run will not have a detrimental effect on their Premier League campaign.
The struggling Cherries sit second bottom in the top flight after registering just two wins from their opening nine league games.
They entertain Sky Bet Championship Middlesbrough in the fourth round of the cup on Tuesday and, despite their poor early-season form suggesting they could be in for a relegation scrap, Howe is targeting a place in the quarter-finals and the prospect of a busier fixture list.
'We want to get as far as we can,' he told the club's official website.