With the opening match of the Ashes little more than seven weeks away, England quick Jofra Archer has reportedly gone under the knife for a procedure on his troublesome right elbow.
According to reports in the UK, Archer briefly left the Indian Premier League this month to visit a specialist in Belgium.
The England paceman has been conspicuous by his absence for Mumbai Indians, featuring in his side’s season-opener on April 2 but missing their next four matches before returning to action on Saturday.
Concerns were heightened by the revelation Archer was experiencing discomfort in a joint that required a couple of operations and contributed to him spending much of the last two years on the sidelines.
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The PA news agency reported Archer flew to Belgium to see his specialist during his near three-week absence for Mumbai, and according to The Telegraph had minor surgery before returning to India.
Jofra Archer celebrates dismissing Usman Khawaja. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Archer returned to the fray at the weekend and bowled his full four-over allocation, reaching speeds of 145km/h against Punjab Kings, suggesting the issue is not another dramatic step back for him.
He was rested for Tuesday’s loss to the Gujarat Titans but could come back into the reckoning when Mumbai take on Rajasthan Royals on Sunday.
England’s medical team have been working closely with their counterparts at the franchise, with Archer still only a few months into his comeback following stress fractures to his elbow and then his back.
He put in some encouraging performances on his England return in the white-ball tours of South Africa and Bangladesh, leading to suggestions he could have a starring role in the upcoming Ashes series.
Sussex indicated ahead of the county season that Archer may not play any first-class cricket for them before the Ashes, and the difference in workload between T20 and Test cricket is stark.
Archer, who has not featured in a first-class match since May 2021, has been keen to play down expectations and said during England’s Bangladesh tour: “If I can play one (Ashes) game this summer, I’ll be happy.
“If I play more than one, that’s just a bonus.”
© AAP
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