Bournemouth goalkeeper Asmir Begovic has labelled the next month of the Cherries' Premier League campaign as "season-defining" ahead of the visit of Huddersfield Town next weekend.
The south coast club sit 17th in the league after 11 matches, just one point clear of the dreaded relegation spots.
Town on the other hand are in the top half of the table, accumulating 15 points from their first 11 games.
Both sides would likely settle for Premier League survival this season and the Cherries' next five matches are against sides likely to finish in a similar position come the end of the campaign.
Eddie Howe's men take on Town, Swansea City, Burnley, Southampton and Crystal Palace in the space of four weeks after the international break, with Begovic stressing the importance that run of fixtures could have on Bournemouth's season.
He told the Daily Echo: "These sort of months and times of the year are season-defining.
"But we won’t look too far ahead.
"We will use the international break to work hard, to get ready for Huddersfield and will do our best to pick up maximum points."
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When asked whether he thought Bournemouth could replicate their best ever Premier League finish of ninth last year, Begovic added: “Why not? We are 11 games in and the period after this international break is going to be huge.
“There are lots of games and lots of points to play for. If we can get on a positive run then why can’t we at least match last season’s total?”
