Ben Stokes will be given as long as possible to prove he can bowl in the final Ashes Test after a scan was understood to reveal a strain to his right shoulder.
The all-rounder was planning to bowl in the nets on Tuesday, which could risk further damage to an injury that is not felt to be serious.
Stokes has been known to defy medical advice to play through pain for England.
Still, he did not bowl in the second innings at Old Trafford, where Australia retained the Ashes. If he cannot do so in the final Test at the Kia Oval from Thursday, it would likely see batsman Jason Roy dropped for all-rounder Sam Curran, who is yet to play this series. Chris Woakes is also in contention to come in for Craig Overton.
Stokes would still play as a specialist batsman, moving up to No4 in place of Roy.
One player who will not be involved at the Oval is James Anderson, who says he will not be hanging up his boots despite missing virtually the whole series with injury.
“It has been absolutely devastating to miss the Ashes series but I have not thought for one second about retiring,” the 37-year-old wrote in The Sun.
