England fast bowler Jofra Archer has been ruled out of the English summer, including the highly anticipated Ashes series, due to a recurrence of a stress fracture in his right elbow, confirmed the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Tuesday.
Concerns about Archer's fitness arose earlier this month when he returned home early, cutting short his participation in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) with the Mumbai Indians.
The ECB had previously released a statement, mentioning that the 28-year-old was "pushing through the discomfort while recently playing" but would not be able to continue in the IPL. It has now been confirmed that Archer will miss the entire Ashes campaign this summer, commencing on June 16 at Edgbaston.
Archer will undergo rehabilitation with the England and Sussex medical teams, who will focus on managing his injury.
"It has been a frustrating and upsetting period for Jofra Archer. He was making good progress until a recurrence of the elbow injury, which kept him out for an extended period previously," stated Rob Key, the ECB Managing Director for England Men's Cricket.
"We wish him the best of luck with his recovery. I'm sure we will see Jofra back to his best and winning games for England, whatever the format. Hopefully, sooner rather than later," Key added.
With the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Archer was expected to lead the Mumbai Indians' bowling attack in the IPL. However, he only played five out of the ten matches he was available for, managing to take only two wickets at an economy rate of 9.50.
This latest setback adds to a series of injuries Archer has faced over the past three years. The talented paceman made his return to international cricket in January 2023, exclusively in white-ball formats against South Africa and Bangladesh.
Archer's elbow problems date back to early 2020 when he suffered a stress fracture that kept him out for the first half of the year. In early 2021, he underwent surgery following a freak injury at home. A stress injury in his back in May 2022 sidelined him for the entire year.
Archer finally made his comeback earlier this year in January 2023, playing seven matches (four ODIs and three T20Is) against South Africa and Bangladesh. He showed glimpses of his old form, delivering his career-best ODI figures of 6/40 in just his second game back against South Africa.