David Brooks will not play against former club Sheffield United for Bournemouth on the opening day of the season due to injury.
This is because BBC Sport reports Brooks will be sidelined for the next three months with an ankle problem. The midfielder will undergo surgery next week.
The issue occurred when Brooks rolled his ankle during the 3-1 pre-season friendly win over Brentford on Saturday.
The news comes shortly after Dan Gosling was also ruled out for three months for the Cherries. Gosling has suffered a hip injury.
Neither player will therefore be available for the first game of the new Premier League campaign on August 10. The newly promoted Blades travel to the Vitality Stadium for a 3pm kickoff.
It will be their first match in the top flight of English football in 12 years.
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How David Brooks injury will affect Bournemouth
Brooks made an immediate impact on the south coast after making an £11.5m move from Bramall Lane in the summer of 2018.
The Wales international had no issues making the step up from the Championship, scoring seven league goals and providing a further five assists.
This impressive form saw Brooks nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year award, eventually won by Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling.
As Sky Sports reports, this has lead to interest from some of the divisions biggest sides. Both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move for Brooks.
It is not only bad news for Bournemouth but also for Wales. The country’s 2018 player of the year will miss three Euro 2020 qualifiers.
Brooks has 12 senior international caps and scored his first goal for the nation against Croatia in June. He will now miss games with Azerbaijan, Slovakia and the return home match with Croatia.
For the Blades, the absence of an influential player like Brooks should give them a boost ahead of their visit to Dorset.