England have been dealt a further blow regarding the fitness of Jofra Archer, the pace bowler being ruled out for the entire summer with a back injury.
A long-term elbow problem has led to Archer not representing his country since March 2021, most notably sidelining him for the Ashes series in Australia.
However, the 27-year-old had made significant progress in his recovery, putting him on the brink of an appearance for Sussex in the T20 Blast later this month.
That will now no longer happen with Archer having sustained a stress fracture in his lower back which will leave him in the treatment room for the foreseeable future.
An ECB statement read: "After being diagnosed with a stress fracture to the lower back, England and Sussex seamer Jofra Archer has been ruled out for the rest of the season.
"No timeframe has been set for his return. A management plan will be determined following further specialist opinion over the coming days."
Archer, a member of England's World Cup winning team in 2019, has 42 wickets from 13 matches in the Test arena.
Darren Plant
