Bowlers Liam Plunkett and Mark Footitt have been included in England’s 14-man squad for the fourth Ashes Test against Australia at Trent Bridge.
Seamer James Anderson will miss the match with a side strain suffered in England’s win at Edgbaston, which put them 2-1 up in the five-Test series.
Yorkshire’s Plunkett, 30, played the last of 13 Tests in June 2014, while Derbyshire’s Footitt, 29, is uncapped.
Under-pressure opener Adam Lyth, also of Yorkshire, has been retained.
As well as Anderson’s certain absence, doubt remains over the fitness of Mark Wood after the 25-year-old Durham seamer missed the third Test with an ankle injury, though England are hopeful he will recover in time.
“We felt bringing in two extra bowlers in Liam Plunkett and Mark Footitt was necessary,” said national selector James Whitaker.
“The reports on Wood are positive at this stage and we are hopeful he’ll be available for selection on Thursday.”
BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew |
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“Replacing Anderson for such a crucial match is one of the trickiest calls the selectors have faced for a long time. |
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“There were a number of options, but they’ve turned to previous international experience in Plunkett. |
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“It’s possible neither he nor Footitt will play, but that depends on Wood’s recovery. |
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“The only other debate would have been around Lyth, but with few alternatives – and hoping he repays the faith – he will open the innings with Cook.” |
If Wood returns he will look to continue his promising start to Test cricket, which has seen him take 14 wickets in four matches.
Left-arm bowler Footitt has taken 50 wickets in the County Championship this season at an average of 23.64, while Plunkett, who has missed parts of the season through injury, has taken five wickets in two matches at 37.60 for the Division One leaders.
England head coach Trevor Bayliss was also hopeful that Wood would be fit for the fourth Test.
“We’re not really sure about Woody at the moment, but he is improving every day,” said the 52-year-old in his post-match press conference on Friday. “We are hopeful he will be right for Trent Bridge.
“We have a few extra days off now. You get halfway through a series like this and there are always a few little niggles with batters and bowlers, so it will be good to give those an extra couple of days’ rest.”
Anderson took 6-47 in the first innings at Edgbaston and another wicket in the second innings to extend his English Test record career tally to 413, 53 of which have come at Trent Bridge at an average of 19.24.
England squad for the fourth Ashes Test:
Alastair Cook (Essex) (Capt), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Steven Finn (Middlesex), Mark Footitt (Derbyshire), Adam Lyth (Yorkshire), Liam Plunkett (Yorkshire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), Mark Wood (Durham).
