England down to bare bones as Stokes is rated doubtful for third Test

● Tourists may have just 12 fit players to choose from in bid to avoid whitewash

England’s hopes of averting a 3-0 whitewash in the West Indies were hit when Ben Stokes emerged as a doubt for the third Test, with Ben Foakes and Chris Woakes also managing injuries.

If the worst happened and all three were ruled out of the game in St Lucia, which begins tomorrow, England would have just 12 fit players to choose from.

Stokes was present at training yesterday, England’s first full session since their threeday defeat in Antigua, but did not take part due to bruising on his right heel.

Foakes, who was hit on the hand by a Shannon Gabriel delivery last week and was unable to keep wicket in the second innings, was involved but has yet to be given the green light by medical staff and Woakes is highly unlikely to make it as he manages a longstanding knee complaint.

England were keen not to make any early assessments, with another full day of preparation work ahead, but Stokes’ ability to balance the side as a top-five batsman and reliable seam bowler makes any question mark overs his participation serious. He would be considered as a specialist batsman even if he was unavailable to fulfil his duties with the ball.

Restructuring the side, or just the batting order, remain possible but with Adil Rashid having flown home to be with his pregnant wife options are limited. Of the dozen players considered 100 per cent fit and available, Keaton Jennings has just been dropped, Jack Leach is a second spinner at a pace-friendly venue and Mark Wood has not played Test cricket since last May.

Wood was likely to make his comeback regardless of fitness issues, his extra speed looking increasingly attractive due to Sam Curran’s struggles in the series but, if Stokes’ ability to bowl was compromised, Wood would become a virtually essential pick.

Vice-captain Jos Buttler said England would be spurred on by wounded pride after head coach Trevor Bayliss accused them of lacking “guts and determination”. “I think as a player when those kind of things are questioned it can hurt your pride, so you want to prove him wrong,” he said.