Southampton, Bournemouth hit by injuries to key players

Southampton and Bournemouth lost key players to long-term injuries on Thursday in a big blow to their Premier League campaigns. Virgil van Dijk will be out for up to three months with an ankle injury, Southampton manager Claude Puel said, meaning the centre back will definitely miss the League Cup final against Manchester United on Feb. 26. “It’s an important problem and difficult for us,” Puel said.