- All-rounder struggled to play pain-free after original operation
- Stokes not expected to be in enlarged squad for Australia tour
Ben Stokes has undergone a second operation on his long-standing finger injury but remains unlikely to feature in England’s upcoming Ashes squad. Stokes has been on indefinite leave since the end of July in order to focus on his mental wellbeing and rest the left index finger the all-rounder first broke while fielding during the Indian Premier League in April.
The injury required an operation at the time but when he made an early comeback in July – captaining a makeshift England one-day international team to a 3-0 win against Pakistan after an outbreak of Covid-19 among the first team – Stokes struggled to play pain-free and required injections.