AFC Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe has admitted that five of his players will be out of the game against Arsenal on Wednesday, for various reasons.

1Eddie Howe

Eddie Howe
BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 13: Eddie Howe, Manager of AFC Bournemouth looks on during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Leicester City at the Vitality Stadium on December 13, 2016, in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Bournemouth have a growing injury list, with Steve Cook suffering a setback in the build-up to their game at the weekend. Speaking in quotes reported by the club website, Howe admitted the defender would miss the match, along with three other injured stars.

“We have a few injuries, so many that I can’t remember,” he said. “Junior (Stanislas) will be out, 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.

“Callum (Wilson) and David (Brooks) are improving and doing well. But we haven’t seen them join in training yet and that shows you they won’t be ready for this game.”

Unfortunately for Howe, Bournemouth then have a suspension to deal with, on top of the four injuries. Jefferson Lerma picked up a yellow card on Saturday, his tenth of the season, meaning he’ll now serve a two-game ban.

That’s five of the 14 players that faced Arsenal in the last Premier League clash in November. The Gunners can really have no excuses not to go out to win the game now, particularly with matches against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United coming up. Getting three points on Wednesday is crucial.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have been handed a triple injury boost in the last few days. Click ‘Next’ to find out more

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