JONATHAN Woodgate is hopeful a knee injury suffered by Lewis Cook is "not that bad" after the midfielder was forced off at Preston this afternoon.

Midfielder Cook was on the receiving end of a heavy challenge from Greg Cunningham at Deepdale, which saw the left-back booked.

After a spell of treatment on the sidelines from physio Steve Hard, the 24-year-old hobbled off along the touchline with 15 minutes to play of the contest, where he was replaced by Shane Long.

Cook, a one-time England international, has suffered a serious knee injury in December 2018, damaging an anterior cruciate ligament which kept him out of action for nine months.

But Woodgate is hopeful the injury suffered in the 1-1 draw at Deepdale won't prove too troubling.

Asked for an update on Cook, head coach Woodgate told the Daily Echo: "He got a bang on the knee.

"He’s had an injury there before, but it’s not that bad."