Gus Atkinson has become the third England fast bowler to be ruled out of the Ashes series after he was confirmed unavailable for the final Test against Australia in Sydney.
The right-arm pacer suffered a left hamstring injury on the second morning of England’s win in the fourth Test in Melbourne and took no further part in the match.
England will not name a replacement for the injured bowler, leaving Matthew Potts in line to feature in the fifth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
England Injury Setback
Atkinson joins Mark Wood and Jofra Archer on the injury list, with all three part of England’s first-choice XI at the start of the series. Wood has not played since the opening Test due to a knee issue, while Archer was ruled out earlier with a side strain.
The 27-year-old had struggled in the opening two Tests, taking three wickets, before being left out of the third match. He returned in Melbourne and looked closer to his best, picking up three wickets and scoring 28 runs in the first innings.
Potts Set for Ashes Return
Matthew Potts is now the leading candidate to come into the England XI. The Durham seamer has not played a Test since the defeat to New Zealand in Hamilton last December and would make his Ashes debut if selected.
Potts was a regular during the early phase of the Ben Stokes–Brendon McCullum era but has featured only sporadically over the past two years.
Australia Consider Changes
Australia are also weighing up changes for the series finale after their home Ashes unbeaten run ended in Melbourne. A spinner could be considered for Sydney, while an all-rounder spot is under scrutiny following a lean run with the bat.
Cricket Australia confirmed that Usman Khawaja will play in Sydney, despite speculation about the veteran batter’s future. The board stated there has been no internal discussion regarding his retirement.
Busy Schedule Ahead
The final day of the Sydney Test is scheduled for 8 January, after which England will quickly turn their focus to a white-ball tour of Sri Lanka later this month as part of preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
England squads for the tour are expected to be announced shortly, with most senior players likely to be included despite the heavy Ashes workload.
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