Olly Stone has been ruled out of contention for England's Test matches against Zimbabwe and India this summer, after undergoing surgery for a right knee injury that will require a 14-week rehabilitation.
Stone claimed seven wickets in two home Tests against Sri Lanka last year, and was selected for the Test tours of Pakistan and New Zealand over the winter, but did not feature in either series.
He experienced increasing discomfort in his right knee during Nottinghamshire's pre-season tour of Abu Dhabi last month. Further scans conducted this week revealed the need for surgery, and he will now begin his rehabilitation, working closely with the medical teams at both the ECB and Nottinghamshire.
As a consequence, he will miss this summer's six Tests, beginning with Zimbabwe's one-off fixture at his home ground of Trent Bridge on May 22, as well as the five Tests against India. He is, however, targeting a return to full fitness by August, when he is due to feature for London Spirit in the Men's Hundred.
It is another cruel setback for Stone, whose return to the Test team last summer was his first appearance at that level for three injury-plagued years. He made his debut against Ireland at Lord's in 2019, but missed the Ashes with a back stress fracture. That issue recurred in each of the next two summers, limiting his involvement to a pair of Tests against New Zealand and India in 2021, and a total of 11 white-ball caps.
This winter, he missed the chance to cement his place in the Test team when he flew home from Pakistan for his wedding - a date that had been scheduled long in advance of his return to the England set-up.
His injury increases the pressure on England's pace stocks, leading into the start of the English season. Mark Wood has already been ruled out for four months after also undergoing knee surgery, while Wood's Durham team-mate Brydon Carse is struggling with a long-term toe injury. Ben Stokes, England's captain, is also rehabilitating from hamstring surgery, and is in a race to be fit for the Zimbabwe Test.