England’s Graham Onions has suffered a further devastating injury blow and will now definitely miss the Ashes.
The fast bowler is expected to be out for nine months after it was ruled that he needs surgery to overcome the back problem that will see him miss the winter series against Australia.
He will go under the knife next Monday after no other option was found to his problem, one that first showed up when he failed to play a game on England's tour of Bangladesh. He is now not expected to take part in serious competitive cricket until early next summer.
“Graham has been suffering from ongoing discomfort due to stress fractures on both sides of his back,” the ECB's chief medical officer, Dr Nick Peirce, said on Thursday.
“We have thoroughly exhausted all avenues of conservative treatment and rehabilitation with surgery very much seen as a last resort. Unfortunately, Graham has not responded to these forms of treatment and as a result we have no option left but to undertake a course of treatment involving surgery.
"The surgery Graham faces is a relatively significant operation and his rehabilitation will see him ruled out of all cricket for approximately up to nine months. His rehabilitation will be overseen and carried out by the ECB medical team in conjunction with the medical staff at Durham."
England have long been planning for the Ashes without Onions, but the player himself was striving to be fit in time and has only now asmitted that it is a vain goal.
"I'm shattered to have been ruled out of the Ashes with the prospect of a lengthy recovery period," he said.
"After experiencing the euphoria of being part of an Ashes winning England team last year I was determined to get myself fit for selection ahead of this winter's tour of Australia. Unfortunately, that's not to be and even though we have tried every possible form of treatment, surgery is the only option left.
"While I'm devastated to be facing such a long lay-off from cricket I'm determined to overcome this setback and make sure I get back bowling again next year and work my way back into the England calculations."