"Junior will be out. Steve's had a long-standing groin problem for a couple of months, having moments when it's been better than in other moments and then in the build-up to the game it got too much for him," Howe told reporters.
"It was a real blow to lose him (Cook). He's been one of the big leaders in our dressing room and we missed him."
Howe said striker Callum Wilson (knee) and midfielder David Brooks (ankle) were making progress from their injuries but would not be available for the trip to London.
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"We haven't seen them join in training yet, and that shows you they won't be ready for this game," Howe added.
Bournemouth, who sit 10th in the standings with 34 points from 27 games, are looking to snap a run of three games without a victory.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
