Ben Stokes’ damaged left hamstring will require surgery in the new year, it was confirmed following an appointment with a specialist on Monday.
Stokes, 33, underwent scans during a visit to a consultant in Leeds that confirmed a tear and will now have an operation in January.
The news comes just a day after it was confirmed England’s Test captain was out of both the limited-overs tour of India starting on January 17 and the Champions Trophy in February and March.
It is anticipated that he will be sidelined for three months – a schedule that does not rule him out of any Test action.
England’s next Test match, a four-day affair against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge in late May, is followed by a five-match home series against India and an attempt to win a first away Ashes in 15 years at the end of 2025.
The rehabilitation period should mean Stokes is fully fit by the start of the home international summer, and despite breaking down twice with the injury since August, he insists he will not throttle back in his bid to operate as a genuine all-rounder for those two seismic assignments.
Having initially pulled up in a Hundred match for Northern Superchargers in Manchester, there was a repeat of the misfortune during the third Test in Hamilton, at the end of England’s 2-1 series victory over New Zealand last week.
