Bournemouth give Lewis Cook a break before England World Cup squad is announced

Posted Monday, May 14, 2018 by PA

Eddie Howe confirmed Bournemouth left out Lewis Cook from the squad against Burnley with the anticipation of an England call-up in mind.

The 21-year-old midfielder has been involved in Gareth Southgate’s last two squads building up to the World Cup finals in Russia and made his debut against Italy in March.

Howe said: “He’s had a lot of games, a lot of exposure, a lot of pressure placed upon him. We just wanted him to be free of that for a little bit longer so we sent him away, he’s abroad, to try and make sure he doesn’t suffer from burn-out maybe next season.”

Asked what it would mean for the Cherries to have a player at the World Cup with England, Howe said: “It would mean everything, not just for England but for any of our internationals.

“We’re very proud whenever we see our players performing for their countries. It’s the biggest stage, a prestigious event, so we obviously wish them all well.”

Bournemouth finished the campaign on a winning note, with substitute Callum Wilson netting in stoppage time to give the visitors a 2-1 victory after Josh King had cancelled out Chris Wood’s opener.

The three points ensured Bournemouth finished in 12th place in the Premier League table, 11 points clear of the relegation zone.

Howe said: “Great way to finish for us. A difficult game. First half was tough, I thought Burnley made it difficult, as they do with how they play, but for me the change in the game was the substitutes. I thought they had a big impact. Dan Gosling, Callum Wilson, Jermain Defoe really did inspire us.”

A sell-out crowd flocked to Turf Moor to celebrate Burnley’s remarkable achievement in securing European football, and Wilson’s sucker punch following a mistake by Kevin Long did not spoil the party mood.

Manager Sean Dyche said: “(They were) two horrible goals that’s for sure. A couple of good saves from Popey (goalkeeper Nick Pope), other than that we weren’t really under any undue pressure. But overall it is difficult because my instinct as a manager and my winning instinct is to be disappointed in the outcome of today and two horrible moments.

“But beyond that, I’ve got to register the work these players have done over a season, which has been phenomenal. The amount of effort, the amount of work, the discipline and dedication to the cause they’ve put in, then that has to be applauded by myself and many others.”

Burnley have been all but certain of finishing seventh for several weeks, which Dyche admitted has had an effect after finishing the season on a five-game winless run.

He added: “The last couple of weeks have been difficult because, whatever you think of players, there’s usually got to be some form of stimulus on the game. They’re human, that edge that you need sometimes, it feels different.”