EDDIE Howe revealed defender Steve Cook is set to undergo surgery which will keep him out for “a number of weeks”.

The commanding centre-half fractured his wrist after blocking a cross against Tottenham last Saturday.

And having yesterday consulted a specialist, the Hastings-born star will be required to go under the knife.

Asked about Cook following today’s 3-0 defeat to Liverpool, Howe told the Daily Echo: “He is going to have an operation on his hand.

“He is going to be out for a number of weeks.”

Cherries, who have now lost five league games in a row, have as many as nine first-team players suffering with injuries.

The boss added: “We are going to need players to win games. You don’t win matches and get points in the Premier League without good players.

“We have such a long injury list now, it’s a huge concern for the future for us because we have games thick and fast coming up.

“We can’t let this run continue. We need to go away and assess what we’ve got.”

The Dorset club make the trip to Chelsea in the top-flight next Saturday, before hosting Burnley on December 21.