Jofra Archer has been ruled out of the rest of the Ashes series after suffering a side strain, delivering another major blow to England on a difficult tour of Australia.
The 30-year-old pace bowler, who returned to Test cricket in July after a four-year absence due to injury, will miss both the fourth Test in Melbourne and the fifth Test in Sydney.
Archer picked up the injury during the third Test in Adelaide, where he was limited in the second innings, and a scan in Melbourne later confirmed the problem.
Archer has been England’s standout performer in the series, taking nine wickets and scoring his maiden Test half-century in Adelaide. His absence adds to England’s concerns, with fellow fast bowler Mark Wood already ruled out of the tour because of injury.
Jofra Archer will return to the UK after the fourth Test for further assessment. A decision on his availability for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka will be made later.
England have made further changes to their playing XI, with Gus Atkinson replacing Archer. Batter Ollie Pope has been dropped after a poor run of form and is replaced by Jacob Bethell.
The change reflects growing pressure on the team management as England look for answers after falling 3–0 behind in the series.
