England fear Chris Woakes will miss this winter's Ashes after suffering a dislocated shoulder during the fifth Test decider against India.
Woakes left the field with his left arm in a makeshift sling late on the first evening after taking a painful tumble at the boundary edge.
He immediately looked in serious trouble and after assessing the problem overnight England ruled him out of the remaining four days. The PA news agency understands their concerns run much deeper than that, though, and it is not impossible that the 36-year-old all-rounder has played his last Test.
It is not yet known whether surgery is required but if that is the case he could be facing a lay-off of between four and six months, ending any chance of making the trip to Australia.
That would mean he will be 37 by the time he is next available for Test cricket and the selectors may well be ready to look elsewhere. In the nearer term, should Woakes not make the trip Down Under, there could be fresh hope for Sam Cook and Matthew Potts, two seamers who have fallen down the pecking order this summer.
England left some wriggle room for Woakes to bat if absolutely required over the coming days, suggesting he will remain with the team for observation, but it is hard to imagine him being asked to do so in anything short of an emergency.
A team spokesperson said: "England seamer Chris Woakes will continue to be monitored throughout the remainder of the fifth Rothesay Test at the Kia Oval, following a left shoulder injury sustained on day one of the match against India.
"At this stage, the injury has ruled him out of any further participation in the Test. A further assessment will be conducted at the conclusion of the series."
Play finished on the first day with India tallying 204-6 after the Three Lions had opted to field first.
England had already been whittled down by injury ahead of the decider in south London, with captain Ben Stokes himself ruled out with a shoulder injury, while Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer were omitted from the squad to manage their workloads.
Mark Wood and Olly Stone are also longer-term absentees, although the latter is further along his comeback trail.
Woakes’ injury leaves the hosts with Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton and Josh Tongue as frontline seamers, and they can also rely on the spin delivery of Jacob Bethell and Joe Root.
Brendon McCullum’s side need to avoid defeat to win the series.
