Jofra Archer's injury problems continue as England bowler suffers stress fracture
- Sean Fisher
- 19 May 2022
Just as Jofra Archer looked to be recovering from his long-term elbow injury, the 27-year-old has suffered another setback in the form of a lower back stress fracture.
Since shining in the 2019 World Cup, Jofra Archer has endured three frustrating years hampered with injury.
Firstly, the Sussex bowler found himself on the sidelines for over a year after persistently struggling with elbow issues.
Archer missed the Ashes this winter as a result of his elbow injury, but the 27-year-old announced that he was targetting the Vitality Blast as a potential comeback date later this month.
But just as it seemed that Archer was set to recover from injury and return to action, it was confirmed on Thursday morning that the fast bowler has suffered a stress fracture in his lower back.
We're all with you and we're all gutted for you, @JofraArcher š
ā England Cricket (@englandcricket) May 19, 2022
The England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed the news via social media and released the following statement:
"After being diagnosed with a stress fracture to the lower back, England and Sussex seamer Jofra Archer has been ruled out for the rest of the season.
"No timeframe has been set for his return. A management plan will be determined following further specialist opinion over the coming days."
The injury is bound to raise question marks over Archer's future in the sport, with some suggesting he could face an indefinite lay-off from international cricket.
Having made just 12 Test appearances since his incredible debut at Lord's, it'd be a sad way for Archer's promising career to come to an end.
The injury news adds Archer to a growing list of sidelined England stars too, after Lancashire's Saqib Mahmood and Yorkshire's Matthew Fisher both revealed they had also suffered stress fractures earlier this week.
With England's Test side attempting to rebuild this summer, new head coach Matthew Mott will have to be without Archer for the forseeable future as he attempts to turn the side's fortunes around.
