England batsman Ollie Pope has been ruled out for up to four months after dislocating his shoulder during the third Test against Pakistan.
The injury occurred on the fourth day of the final Test of the summer at the Ageas Bowl, when Pope slid to save a boundary off the second ball of Stuart Broad’s first over of the day.
Pope, 22, left the field immediately and underwent an MRI scan in London on Wednesday where it was determined that surgery would be needed.
The highly-rated star will undergo surgery at some point next month and begin a rehabilitation programme with the Surrey and England medical teams.
The ECB hope Pope is fit to return in time for England’s winter tours or Sri Lanka and India in early 2021.
Pope, who averages 55 in first-class cricket, has enjoyed a superb start to his international career, scoring a century and five fifties in 13 Tests.
Follow Metro Sport across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.