Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe has admitted that the loss of defensive stalwart Steve Cook to a hamstring injury is a big blow for his Cherries side.
The 27-year-old centre-back missed the 1-1 draw at home to Wolves on Saturday, putting an end to an ever-present record in the top-flight this season.
He has always been a player who has played through injuries where some players might not have.
Eddie Howe
And Howe, who is preparing his players for a tough trip to Arsenal on Wednesday evening, accepts that other players will have to step up to fill the gap left by Cook, who has been with the Cherries since October 2011.
He told the Daily Echo: "Steve's had a long-standing groin problem for a couple of months, having moments when it's been better than in other moments and then in the build-up to the game on Saturday it got too much for him.
"It was a real blow to lose him, he's been one of the big leaders in our dressing room for some time and we really missed him.
"Cookie has been a model of consistency in terms of his selection. He has always been a player who has played through injuries where some players might not have.
"But this time it got to the stage where he felt he couldn't do himself or the team justice, so we hope he has a speedy recovery."
Howe also confirmed that striker Callum Wilson (knee) and midfielder David Brooks (ankle) are not yet ready to return from injury, having not been able to join in training so far this week.
The Cherries are 4/1 to earn a draw on Wednesday evening, with the Gunners 8/1 to repeat the 2-1 victory they claimed at Dean Court earlier on this season.
Meanwhile, Bournemouth are priced at 11/10 to finish the season in the top half of the Premier League table.
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Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe has admitted that the loss of defensive stalwart Steve Cook to a hamstring injury is a big blow for his Cherries side.
The 27-year-old centre-back missed the 1-1 draw at home to Wolves on Saturday, putting an end to an ever-present record in the top-flight this season.
He has always been a player who has played through injuries where some players might not have.
Eddie Howe
And Howe, who is preparing his players for a tough trip to Arsenal on Wednesday evening, accepts that other players will have to step up to fill the gap left by Cook, who has been with the Cherries since October 2011.
He told the Daily Echo: "Steve's had a long-standing groin problem for a couple of months, having moments when it's been better than in other moments and then in the build-up to the game on Saturday it got too much for him.
"It was a real blow to lose him, he's been one of the big leaders in our dressing room for some time and we really missed him.
"Cookie has been a model of consistency in terms of his selection. He has always been a player who has played through injuries where some players might not have.
"But this time it got to the stage where he felt he couldn't do himself or the team justice, so we hope he has a speedy recovery."
Howe also confirmed that striker Callum Wilson (knee) and midfielder David Brooks (ankle) are not yet ready to return from injury, having not been able to join in training so far this week.
The Cherries are 4/1 to earn a draw on Wednesday evening, with the Gunners 8/1 to repeat the 2-1 victory they claimed at Dean Court earlier on this season.
Meanwhile, Bournemouth are priced at 11/10 to finish the season in the top half of the Premier League table.
View all Soccer betting
Source: bet365.com