England have suffered a massive blow before the Ashes as their first-choice spinner Jack Leach has been ruled out of the series with a stress fracture. The 31-year-old has the symptoms during England’s win over Ireland in the one-off Test match that just concluded on Saturday (June 4).

However, Leach has picked up four wickets in England’s comfortable 10-wicket win. Following the victory, Leach’s scan revealed the stress fracture on Sunday as well. Meanwhile, making his debut in 2018, Jack Leach has played 35 Tests so far and also played in the last two Ashes series as well, which also included the epic Test match in 2019 at Leeds where he was involved in a nail-biting last-wicket partnership along with current captain Ben Stokes as well.

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Leach claimed 3 for 35 in the first innings against Ireland recently but he struggled for breakthroughs on the third day as Andy McBrine and Mark Adair added a 163-run stand for the seventh wicket to help avert an innings defeat as well. Stokes also used Joe Root’s offspin at Lord’s as well. However, England have already lost the services of their pacer Jofra Archer and did not play with either James Anderson or Ollie Robinson for the Ireland Test due to minor injuries as well.

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Olly Stone is also currently sidelined, while Jamie Overton is recovering from a back stress fracture as well. However, England’s pacer did well this week with a five-wicket haul on debut for Josh Tongue as well. They hope to have Stokes available as an allrounder, as he continues to manage a knee issue also. Considering Jack Leach is the lone spinner in the playing XI, this is a huge blow for the home side prior to the marquee series that will begin on June 16 in Edgbaston. The ECB has confirmed that a replacement for the left-arm spinner will be made in ‘due course’ as well.