England‘s bowling group has copped another brutal hit in this Ashes series, with Gus Atkinson ruled out of the squad for the final Test in Sydney next week.
Atkinson was in doubt to return on day two of the Boxing Day Test after he suffered a hamstring injury while bowling the last delivery of an over.
The 27-year-old was in immediate discomfort after bowling the ball and departed the field soon after to undergo medical assessment as Ben Stokes replaced him in the attack.
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At the time, England officials simply declared it was just hamstring “soreness”, but they did concede that he would need to be monitored and undergo further testing.
Atkinson underwent a scan later on Saturday and did not return to the match. Those scans confirmed he had “sustained a left hamstring injury”.
England captain Ben Stokes with Gus Atkinson. Getty
The results came just days after England confirmed Mark Wood and Jofra Archer would also not return for the rest of the series due to respective knee and side strain injuries.
Atkinson had stepped in for the absent Archer during the Boxing Day Test, having been overlooked by coach Brendon McCullum for the third Test in Adelaide.
It was not stated exactly how long Atkinson is expected to be sidelined for.
England confirmed they will not be calling in a replacement for Atkinson in Sydney.
It is likely that Matthew Potts, who has still yet to feature in the series, will be named in the team for the final test. Other contenders include Matthew Fisher or Shoaib Bashir.
Potts, 27, has made 10 Test appearances in the past, claiming 36 wickets.