The Champions Trophy 2025 journey of England faces an early obstacle as pacer Brydon Carse is set to be ruled out for the Group B game versus Afghanistan on Wednesday.
Carse participated in England’s opening match against Australia, a five-wicket defeat, but has been battling a blister on his left foot that may jeopardize further participation in the tournament.
On Monday, Carse missed training with the team at the Gaddafi Stadium and pushed the team’s management into making a last-minute selection dilemma. With only three group games left to try and qualify for the semi-finals, England is weighing offering Jamie Overton a chance in the playing XI.
Joe Root remained cautiously hopeful about Carse’s recovery while speaking to the BBC, admitting the next 48 hours could be key.
“We will have to wait and see,” Root said. “There is still a good way to go until the game, to find exactly what’s up with Carsey. We will see how things unfold over the next few days.”
The absence of Carse is a severe setback for England, who are under pressure after succumbing to Australia. The fast bowler had a difficult outing in the match after bowling seven overs at the cost of 69 runs, getting only a wicket to his name. His sheer raw pace and ability to generate bounce would have made a great difference against the aggressive batting lineup of Afghanistan.
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Third in Group B at the moment, England must win if they are to keep alive their semi-final ambitions. With South Africa and Australia leading the group, a further loss could leave England little or no room to breathe.
In any case, if Carse is ruled out of the next game, England could opt for a call-up of a replacement to the tournament for the player.
