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Blow for England as Chris Woakes ruled out of remainder of ICC Champions Trophy

The England pacer, managed just 2 overs during England's tournament-opening 8-wicket win over Bangladesh, is out with a side strain.

London: England paceman Chris Woakes has been ruled out of the rest of the Champions Trophy one-day international competition with a side strain, it was announced Friday.

Woakes managed just two overs at the start of hosts England's tournament-opening eight-wicket win over Bangladesh at the Oval on Thursday before leaving the field and played no further part in the match.

"A scan has confirmed that Chris Woakes sustained a left side strain in yesterday's ICC Champions Trophy match against Bangladesh," said an England and Wales Cricket Board statement.

"The injury means Woakes will miss the rest of England's participation in the Champions Trophy."

The ECB statement added: "An update on a replacement for the seamer for the remainder of the tournament will follow in due course."

Middlesex's Steven Finn and Toby Roland-Jones would appear to be next in line to replace 28-year-old Warwickshire all-rounder Woakes, with England's next Group A match against New Zealand in Cardiff on Tuesday.

Both Finn and Roland-Jones featured in England's one-day international defeat by South Africa at Lord's -- a match where Woakes was rested as he recovered from a thigh problem.

This, however, was in his right leg, with the side strain on the other side of his body.

England captain Eoin Morgan insisted Woakes had not been hurried back into action, with there being no hint of a side problem before the paceman suffered his tournament-ending injury.

"There was absolutely nothing," said Morgan after Thursday's match.

"He (Woakes) was chomping at the bit to play.

"If we rushed him, he might have played the last game of the one-day series (against South Africa, which England won 2-1 despite Monday's defeat), but we didn't want to rush him."

Other possible replacements for Woakes include uncapped Surrey seamer Tom Curran, while England could yet recall Test linchpin Stuart Broad, even though only two of his 121 ODI caps have been won since the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

England have never won a major International Cricket Council one-day international tournament but entered this edition of the Champions Trophy with high hopes after a resurgence in the 50-format following their woeful first-round exit at the 2015 World Cup.

( Source : AFP )
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