Woakes has no timescale for injury return
CHRIS Woakes faces an indefinite period out as Warwickshire head coach Mark Robinson revealed there is “no timescale” on the England all-rounder’s return from a knee injury.
The World Cup winner has not featured for club or country since March as an ankle niggle plus a longstanding knee problem have kept him sidelined for the start of the county season.
Woakes is one of a number of England fast bowlers unavailable for next month’s first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s and it remains uncertain as to when the 33-year-old will make a comeback.
“He has been struggling with a knee injury and has also had a little ailment with his ankle,” Robinson said in quotes on Warwickshire’s website.
“But it’s the knee injury that is holding him back. At the moment there is no timescale on when he will be back.”
Mark Wood and Sam Curran were also ruled out of contention to face the Black Caps while the trio of Jofra Archer, Saqib Mahmood and Matt Fisher have suffered stress fractures in their backs.
Olly Stone has not played since last June after suffering another stress fracture in his back, which left him questioning his Test future, and he has already discounted the prospect of appearing for England’s red-ball side this summer.
A knock to his hip has set him back in his recovery but Robinson is optimistic about Stone returning in the next week or two in the Vitality Blast, which gets under way on Wednesday.
“Stoney has had a niggle around his hip cartilage which he picked up in a Second XI match,” Robinson added.
“We thought we had got him back but then he aggravated it in a club game, but he is progressing and is probably about 10 to 14 days away from ready, depending how quickly it heals.
“We are definitely hoping he will play some part in the Blast, though whether he will have the overs under his belt to play a four-day game in that interim period, we don’t know.”