Bournemouth have been dealt another huge blow with Steve Cook set to undergo wrist surgery that is expected to sideline the key defender for four weeks.
The 28-year-old, who is one of Eddie Howe's first choice centre backs, suffered the injury in the clash against Tottenham earlier this month and the fractured joint requires an operation.
Sportsmail understands Cook is scheduled to undergo the procedure to fix his injured wrist on Tuesday with the defender expected to miss up to a month.
The news comes at the worst possible time for Howe, whose side are in the midst of a terrible run of five consecutive losses, a sequence that leaves them just a single point adrift of the relegation zone.
The Cherries face a daunting trip to Chelsea this weekend - but with games against Burnley, Brighton and West Ham on the horizon, Cook's absence will come as a key blow to Howe's attempts to arrest the club's alarming slide down the Premier League table.
And the expected timescale on Cook's return - coupled with the fact his central defensive partner Nathan Ake is facing a spell on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury suffered against Liverpool on Saturday - Howe is facing the prospect of being without two of his first-choice centre-halves for the games that could shape the remainder of their season.
Ake underwent a scan on his injury in London on Monday afternoon and Bournemouth were hoping for good news, though Howe feared the injury was 'serious' after the loss to the Merseysiders.
Meanwhile, the Cherries are bracing themselves for a January offer from Chelsea for Ake after the Blues had their transfer ban lifted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport last week.
The Holland international, who came through Chelsea's academy, is a long-term target for the Blues and could be available for the Stamford Bridge club to buy back for as little as £40million in January.