DIEGO Rico is set to miss the rest of the season with an ankle injury, Cherries boss Eddie Howe has confirmed.

The Spaniard played the entirety of the second half in defeat against Burnley on Saturday, but he has now been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign after picking up a knock against the Clarets.

Howe said: “Diego unfortunately rolled his ankle last week right at the end of the game and we’ll miss him now for the season.

“It’s a big blow because he potentially had good opportunities to play between now and the end of the season.”

Rico’s injury follows that of Charlie Daniels, who is set to be missing for six months after undergoing surgery following a dislocation of his kneecap in training last week.

“It is two big blows for us,” said Howe.

“We’re missing Charlie now for a long period of time. He’s such a consistent performer with such a great attitude every day so he’s a big miss.

“The fortunate thing is we’ve got players who are adaptable and can play in different positions.

“I think that’s hugely important at this stage so we’ll try and pick the right team for this game (against Brighton).”

Rico and Daniels joined long-term injured stars Andrew Surman, Simon Francis and Lewis Cook in the treatment room ahead of Cherries' trip to Brighton tomorrow in the Premier League (3pm).