England’s Ashes preparation hit by further injury woe with bowler Brydon Carse sent for a scan

England Ashes preparations hit by ANOTHER bowler injury as Brydon Carse is sent off for a side injury scan… with Ben Stokes already facing the prospect of facing Australia without Jofra Archer, Jimmy Anderson and Olly Stone

  • Brydon Carse had emerged as a contender for this summer’s Ashes series
  • Injuries to Jofra Archer and Olly Stone had greatly improved his prospects
  • Ben Stokes is now facing further injury problems several weeks after the first test

England’s pace bowling shares for the Ashes took another blow on Saturday with news that Durham’s Brydon Carse has been sent for a scan for a side injury.

The 27-year-old has been withdrawn from the ongoing LV= County Championship match against Yorkshire as the club’s medical team investigate damage to his ‘torso’ sustained on day two at Chester-le-Street.

Earlier this week, Jofra Archer was recalled from the Indian Premier League to begin a rest and recovery program after experiencing further elbow discomfort and Olly Stone was also ruled out of starting the Ashes series next month after confirming a six-week recovery from hamstring problems, which increased Carse’s position in the pecking order.

Ben Stokes is battling further injury woes under his Ashes bowling stock with news that Brydon Carse is due for a scan for a side injury

This week, Jofra Archer returned from the IPL after his troubled elbow flared up again

This week, Jofra Archer returned from the IPL after his troubled elbow flared up again

Another blow came in the form of the news that Jimmy Anderson has a groin problem

Another blow came in the form of the news that Jimmy Anderson has a groin problem

Carse, 27, has nine one-day international caps and has long been admired by the England selectors for his combination of speed and resilience.

Indeed, he might have made his Test debut a year ago but was unavailable due to injury and Jamie Overton, a rival fast bowler with excellent hitting skills, was chosen at number eight for the game against New Zealand at Headingley.

Carse has started the 2023 season with 14 wickets at 28 runs apiece in Division Two, hitting the second first-class hundred of his career against Derbyshire two weeks ago.

And it’s not just backup bowlers affected by the current injury. Although sources in the dressing room have downplayed its significance, England’s leading wicket-taker Jimmy Anderson is battling a groin problem three weeks before the one-off Test against Ireland and five before the first ball goes down in the Australian series.