Ben Stokes has backed England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler to bounce back from his recent disappointing form.

After scoring a total of just 34 runs in the first two Tests against Pakistan, it has been suggested that Buttler may lose his spot in the side ahead of the final match, which begins in Sharjah on Sunday.

England coach Trevor Bayliss has also hinted that Buttler, who dropped two routine chances behind the stumps in the second-Test defeat, could make way in a move which is likely to see James Taylor recalled and Jonny Bairstow put on the gloves.

"If the decision comes to leave Jos out, then he is not a bloke to dwell on it too much," Stokes told reporters. "He will go away and work as hard as he always does on all aspects of his game from batting to keeping.

"I've been in the same position as he has before, and it's not a nice place to be, but everything comes around and eventually you do find form. You've just got to keep working hard in practice.

"If it does end up with him not playing then the time off might do him some well because he's had a very, very long summer."

Buttler is averaging just 13 with the bat in Test cricket since the start of the Ashes series in the summer.