CHERRIES skipper Simon Francis insists "we don't want to stay up just because the season has been cancelled", adding: "The games have to be played."

Cherries currently sit in the Premier League relegation zone with 27 points from their 29 matches.

But when their campaign resumes is shrouded in doubt due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Cherries are due to face Newcastle United on April 4, but following fresh government guidelines advising against mass gatherings, that date could get moved when the Premier League reconvene on Thursday for a meeting to discuss future plans.

“We want to prove we are good enough to stay in the Premier League," Francis told The Sun.

“We don’t want to stay up just because the season has been cancelled and start afresh.

“The games have to be played.

“There seem to be two or three options and one of them would be to null and void the season.

“We don’t know the severity of the virus. It might be that is our only option, which I would be gutted to see as a player.

“It’s not because we’re in the relegation zone, it’s because you want to play Premier League games as a professional.”