Brydon Carse has been ruled out of the rest of England's Champions Trophy campaign, starting with their must-win game against Afghanistan on Wednesday.
Carse missed England's training session on Monday due to a left toe injury, which has needed constant care during his playing career. While the Durham quick was deemed fit enough to play against Australia on Saturday, his discomfort was visible on the field and in the scorecard, finishing as the most expensive bowler on the day with an economy rate of 9.85 as Australia chased down a target of 352 with 15 balls to spare.
The issue with the toe began as a blister during the recent white-ball series in India, which required stitches and saw Carse miss the final two ODIs. It is now understood to have got worse and may require further treatment. As such, the 29-year-old has been withdrawn from England's 15-man squad ahead of their Group B encounter with Afghanistan in Lahore, with their final fixture against South Africa coming up in Karachi on Saturday.
His withdrawal was ratified by the ICC on Monday afternoon. With no need for a like-for-like substitute, leg spinner Rehan Ahmed has been called up to fill Carse's spot.
Rehan, an unused member of the India tour, will bolster England's spin stocks, with fellow leggie Adil Rashid the only frontline option. This meant Root and Liam Livingstone had to dovetail against Australia to supplement Rashid's work. He is not expected to be available against Afghanistan, however, as he is due to arrive in Pakistan on the day of the match.
An extra, reliable spinning option could be important if England are able to squeeze into the semi-finals as they may end up playing in Dubai, which has been more amenable to turn, against India, who are assured of a place in the last four after victory over Pakistan on Sunday.
Carse's absence should mean a return to the XI for Jamie Overton for the Afghanistan fixture, given that he offers similar skillsets as a bowling allrounder. There is further seam cover in the 15-man squad in Saqib Mahmood and Gus Atkinson.
For Carse, this setback comes at the end of what has been a positive, if grueling winter. After serving a three-month ban last summer for historic gambling offences, Carse has been touring continuously since the end of the 2024 season.
A Test debut in Pakistan - eight days after playing all of a five-match ODI series against Australia - was the first of five Test caps before the end of the year, concluding with three back-to-back in New Zealand. He then played five matches in India, where he aggravated his left toe, ahead of the Champions Trophy.
The setback adds an extra layer to the management of England's fast-bowling reserves at the start of a year that features major Test assignments against India and Australia. The severity of the injury may also determine whether Carse is able to take up a contract with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL after earning a £100,000 deal during the latest auction.