Ashes 2023: England suffer another injury blow as THIS star player gets ruled out of remainder of series

England cricket team has suffered yet another setback as they try to come back in the Ashes 2023. Theirstar batter Ollie Pope has been ruled out of the rest of the Ashes. Pope, struggling with a dislocated shoulder from Day 1, will now undergo surgery which will see him miss out on the remaining three matches. The injury comes as a big blow for the hosts who are already without Moeen Ali while they trail the Ashes 0-2.

Pope blow for England

The designated vice-captain of the side, Pope underwent scans in London on his shoulder on Monday, July 4 which revealed the extent of the injury. He will now undergo surgery before he starts his rehabilitation under the guidance of the England and Surrey medical teams. Pope got injured when he attempted a dive to stop the ball, which resulted in a shoulder casualty. He has a rich history of shoulder issues and has struggled with the problem twice in the past.

Who will succeed Pope?

As things stand, captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum will have big shoes to fill in as they will miss the services of Pope. He has been an integral part of the team ever since the duo started to work together in June 2022. He was their preferredchoice at number three but will now have to sit out as the team searches for other options.

Joe Root is the natural replacement for Pope, having played in that position in the past, while Harry Brook could also be made to switch positions to fill the void. As things stand, England will either have to change the batting order of a few players or will have to use Dan Lawrence as another batting option available on the bench.

Lawrence has played 11 times for the national team but has not played for the national side for over a year having last worn a Test cap in March 2022 against West Indies.

Both England and Australia will next take the field in the Third Ashes Test which starts on Thursday, July 6 at Headingley in Leeds. Currently, the hosts are tailing 0-2 and will need an improbable comeback to stay in the hunt for their first Ashes glory in eight years.

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