Bournemouth have confirmed that key winger Junior Stanislas will miss the rest of the 2017/18 season, after undergoing knee surgery on a problem suffered during the 2-2 Premier League draw against Watford last weekend.
Manager Eddie Howe has described Stanislas, who has scored four goals in his last eight Premier League appearances, as a 'big miss'.
The Cherries boss also remains unsure when the 28-year-old will be available to return, suggesting he could yet be forced to miss all of pre-season.
"Junior Stanislas is out for the season. He picked up a serious knee injury against Watford, so we're looking at pre-season or the start of the season to get him back, we're not sure yet," Howe explained.