EDDIE Howe admits he is reluctantly allowing Lewis Cook to jet off on international duty following Cherries' clash with Burnley because it will be "great" for the midfielder's development.

Cook will skipper England's under-20 side at the World Cup in South Korea, with the youngsters' first match, against Argentina, scheduled for May 20, the day before Cherries conclude their Premier League campaign with a trip to Leicester.

The 20-year-old has played 90 minutes in each of his club's past two matches, having previously been restricted to one start this term, against Manchester United on the season's opening day.

Asked by the Daily Echo whether Cook would head to the Far East with his blessing, Howe said: "I suppose I have to say yes.

"Ideally, we wouldn’t be losing Lewis for the last game. But he is the captain of the team, it will be a great experience for him to lead his country into a major tournament. It will be great for his development.

"We’ve had to take a view on all of these things and reach a compromise, which means he plays the game against Burnley on Saturday and is then released for the tournament.

"My opinion is, it’s worth him missing that one game to develop himself and experience what he’s going to go into, for his long-term benefit."

The Cherries boss was also full of praise for the manner in which Cook had responded to being handed a starting jersey for the matches with Sunderland and Middlesbrough.

"He has been very good," said Howe. "There has been a lot of learning and development behind the scenes and he has been great to work with.

"It is great to see a player who has shown that attitude come into the team and perform so well.

"He is very progressive with his passing, a very positive player and he has a great future ahead of him."