Ashes villain's ominous injury update for Aussies

England skipper Ben Stokes eased concerns astir his quality to vessel successful the upcoming Ashes bid due to the fact that of long-standing genu issues and said helium is readying to play each Test this summer.

“Unless I can’t walk, I’ll beryllium connected the field,” Stokes said with a grin the time earlier England begins its one-off Test against Ireland, which serves arsenic a warm-up for the five-match Ashes bid against Australia.

After having genu issues during the circuit of New Zealand successful February, Stokes played lone doubly for Chennai Super Kings successful the recently-finished Indian Premier League, sending down conscionable 1 implicit for 18 runs.

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However, the 31-year-old Stokes said his genu is overmuch amended than it was successful New Zealand and helium volition instrumentality his spot successful the England squad arsenic an all-rounder against Ireland astatine Lord’s and past Australia.

“What I person done is I person got myself successful a presumption wherever I’m not capable to look backmost and regret oregon accidental I’ve not fixed myself the champion accidental to play a afloat relation with the shot this summer,” Stokes said.

“I’ve worked incredibly hard with the aesculapian squad successful Chennai, liaising with the ECB guys. I person got myself into a spot wherever I consciousness similar backmost astatine 2019, 2020 abstraction successful presumption of my ain assemblage and fittingness and everything similar that.”

Pushed astir the nonstop quality of his genu problem, Stokes said: “We cognize what it is and it’s astir managing it".

“It’s managing it with workload,” helium added, “and moving it with the med squad conscionable to get done it.”

England has already named its squad for the Ireland test, with seamer Josh Tongue making his debut portion accelerated bowlers James Anderson and Ollie Robinson are rested.

Ireland has mislaid each six of its matches since gaining trial presumption successful 2017. That includes a decision against England astatine Lord’s successful 2019.

Captain Andrew Balbirnie has said beating England would beryllium “the biggest infinitesimal successful Irish cricket history".

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