Cook facing further five or six weeks on the sidelines
AFC Bournemouth are likely to be without the services of defender Steve Cook until mid-April after he suffered a complication in his recovery from a groin problem.
BT Sport report that an injection Cook had in his groin turned into an infection, meaning he will face a further five to six weeks out of action.
The 27-year-old has missed the club’s last three Premier League matches with the injury, having previously featured in every top-flight match for the Cherries this term.
With Cook ruled out, manager Eddie Howe could well stick with the three centre-back formation he deployed against Manchester City, allowing young prospects Chris Mepham and Jack Simpson more valuable playing time.
On the ex-Brighton man’s injury, Howe said:
He had a long-standing groin problem, which we felt was quite minor. He had an injection on that area to try to fix the problem, that injection turned into an infection so not good news regarding that and he’s going to be out for around five, six weeks.
The Cherries have endured an injury-hit campaign, with David Brooks, Lewis Cook, Junior Stanislas and Callum Wilson all undergoing time in the treatment room.
The latter could well be involved when Bournemouth take on Huddersfield Town at the John Smith’s Stadium tomorrow afternoon.