Knee injury forces Steven Finn out of Ashes series

In a major setback to England, fast bowler Steven Finn has been ruled out of the upcoming Ashes series against Australia due to a knee injury.

The 28-year-old, who had earlier replaced all-rounder Ben Stokes in the touring squad, sustained the injury in his left knee while batting during a practice session in Perth.

Though Finn was given an injection a couple of days ago, the injury, which has now been diagnosed as a torn cartilage, failed to recover as per expectations.

He will now return to England to meet a knee specialist and seek advice on whether he requires surgery.

While the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is yet to announce Finn's replacement, Tom Curran, Tom Helm and Liam Plunkett appear to be favourites for a call-up.

It should be noted that neither Helm nor Curran have played Test cricket.

Earlier, Finn was named in the 13-man Test squad for the full five-match Ashes series following Ben Stokes' provisional suspension over a Bristol nightclub incident.

England arrived in Adelaide on Monday for a four-day day-night tour game against a Cricket Australia XI, starting on Wednesday.

The 2017-18 Ashes series will be played at five venues across Australia between November 23, 2017 and January 8, 2018.