Injured Atkinson ruled out of final Ashes Test, but Khawaja set to play in Sydney
England pace bowler Gus Atkinson joins ranks of walking wounded ahead of match in Sydney, with Matthew Potts poised for a first start of the series
England pace bowler Gus Atkinson has joined the tourists’ mounting injury toll after being ruled out for the fifth and final Ashes Test in Sydney with a hamstring injury, while Australian batsman Usman Khawaja will play in what could be his final appearance in the side.
Atkinson pulled up lame during the second morning of the Boxing Day Test and was officially ruled out after scans on Monday confirmed the injury in his left leg.
England have already lost star speedsters Mark Wood (knee) and Jofra Archer (side strain) during the series, with 27-year-old Matthew Potts expected to come into the team for the fifth Test starting on January 4, and join Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue in the attack.
Carse is now the only pacer remaining from the original four that took the field in Perth, believing they could tear through a brittle Australian batting line-up with lightning pace, but lost the series inside 11 days.
Atkinson played in the two heavy eight-wicket defeats in the first two Tests in Perth and Adelaide, before being dropped for Josh Tongue for the third Test in Adelaide.
He was recalled for the injured Archer for the Boxing Day Test, England’s first win in Australia since 2011, and had a series return of six wickets at 47.33.