England Hit by Fresh Setback Ahead of Fifth Ashes Test!

England just made a comeback to The Ashes in Australia after more than a decade. But the team still has its own concerns as they prepare for the last Test match, which is scheduled to take place from 4 January. Another star player of the team has been ruled out of the tournament.

Ever imagined The Ashes being affected due to the injuries. Well for the very first time, this has happened in the current series, which is taking place in Australia. Not only did the Australian players get affected due to the same, England also had to pay the prices due to the injuries being suffered by their own players.

This resulted in the team already losing three consecutive games. But they were able to clinch a comeback in the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Preparing themselves for the last game, the team has faced yet another setback, with one more player being ruled out of the series.

1. Gus Atkinson Ruled Out

Mark Wood was a part of the team in the initial games. But due to an injury, he became the first to be ruled out. And this was followed by the injury of their star pacer, Jofra Archer, who also missed on the last match, which was won by the English team. Now, Gus Atkinson will be joining the list, who came in as a replacement for injured Jofra.

He did play the first two Test matches of the series, but remained highly ineffective. Despite having a good strike rate in the Test format, he was not able to capitalise well on the Australian pitches. Following this, he was not a part of the team in the third game, but came back for the fourth Test. This time, he took 2 wickets in the first innings and one in the second innings.

Gus Atkinson in The Ashes 2025/26:

• Innings: 6
• Overs: 73
• Maidens: 17
• Wickets: 6
• Average: 47.33
• Economy: 3.89

With Atkinson taking 3 wickets and conceding 48 runs in the 4th Test, fans expected a comeback. But his comeback seemed to be short-lived. He had suffered with a left hamstring injury in the fourth Test, due to which he didn't bowl much in the second innings. And now, he has also been ruled out of the team for the fifth Test.

2. Will England Call a Replacement?

After the news of Gus Atkinson’s injury came out, fans wanted to know whether the team will get a replacement for him or not. Several English bowlers were able to showcase their talents in the domestic, and waited to get a call in the series. But being called up for the last Test may not be a good thing for the England Cricket Board to consider.

Due to this reason, the board even clarified that they won't be having a replacement called up for the last game. This also means they will have to look for a replacement for Atkinson from the line-up itself. With Jofra Archer and Mark Wood already being ruled out, the question remains who comes in for the team in this game.

3. Players Who Could Get a Chance

With Gus Atkinson being ruled out of the last game, this opens up opportunities for some players to give their best after a long time. The England cricket team won't be having any replacement player coming into the line-up in place of Atkinson for the final game. But they still have a few back-up bowlers, who could turn out to be helpful for the team.

Matthew Potts in Tests:

• Innings: 19
• Overs: 340.1
• Maidens: 78
• Wickets: 36
• Average: 29.44
• Economy: 3.11
• Four-wicket Hauls: 2

One of the primary names in this list turns out to be Matthew Potts. He played his last Test match in 2024 against New Zealand, and missed all the Tests the team played in 2025. With Atkinson being ruled out, the fast pacer might be able to get his comeback to the team after being excluded for a while.

Matthew Fisher is another player in line who could come in the playing XI, in place of Gus Atkinson. But he had played just one international game for the England cricket team, which also came back in 2022 against the West Indies. England will have to make a tough call for the last game, as they want to end the series with 2 wins.