Brighton fire and Marler positive test hit England preparations for Six Nations

By Sports Desk January 25, 2022

England suffered a blow to preparations for their Six Nations opener against Scotland after Joe Marler tested positive for COVID-19, while a fire near the team hotel also caused disruption.

Eddie Jones is readying his side for the Calcutta Cup tussle at Murrayfield on February 5, as England bid to improve on last season's disappointing Six Nations performance.

The Red Rose finished fifth in the tournament after just two wins, and preparations for this year's edition have been hit by injury, with captain Owen Farrell set to miss the Scotland game.

Courtney Lawes – initially one of the favourites to deputise as captain – is sitting out training this week because of head injury protocols. Nick Isiekwe has joined up with the squad as cover for Lawes, while George Ford has also been added, and it was revealed on Monday that Elliot Daly is in for Jonny May, who is out with a knee injury.

England announced a fresh blow, with a team statement saying: "Joe Marler has tested positive for COVID and has withdrawn from the training camp in Brighton. All of the other England players and staff have undergone daily lateral flow testing – all of which returned negative results."

England are training in Brighton this week; however, a suspected electrical fire close to their seafront hotel on Tuesday caused the team to seek alternative accommodation, with a 30-metre cordon enforced and nearby premises evacuated.

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    England captain Ben Stokes is out of their first Test against Pakistan having failed to recover from a hamstring tear in time.

    Stokes suffered the hamstring injury in August playing in The Hundred and has not played since, missing England's three-match series against Sri Lanka last month.

    England said last week that the 33-year-old was "on track" to participate in the tour and trained away from the rest of the team in their first session.

    Stokes confirmed he will miss the first Test, which begins on Monday in Multan, and Ollie Pope will continue to deputise as captain in his absence.

    "I tried my hardest to get myself fit for this game but have taken the call to miss this one because I've not quite managed to get game-ready," Stokes told BBC Sport.

    "There is a lot that has to go into my rehab programme. We got to a certain point, but looking at the picture of what we've got coming up and physically where I'm at, I'm not quite ready to play.

    "It's always frustrating to miss out. I've got some good things to focus on, so even though I'm not playing, I've got a goal in mind."

    The second Test starts on October 15, but the all-rounder admitted he was not sure whether that was a realistic target for his return.

    "I've pushed myself incredibly hard and worked really hard with the medical team to get to where I'm at now. I think I'm further ahead than what we expected," he added.

    "I'll be working just as hard over the next 10 days to try to get myself fit for the second Test."

    In his absence, Durham seamer Brydon Carse will make his England Test debut.

    He has previously played 19 ODIs and four T20s for England and will make his red-ball bow just over a month after completing a three-month ban for historical gambling offences.

    England XI for first Test against Pakistan: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Bryson Carse, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir.

  • Stokes a doubt for England's series opener against Pakistan Stokes a doubt for England's series opener against Pakistan

    Ben Stokes is a doubt for England's three-match series in Pakistan, with Zak Crawley admitting they do not know if he will be fit to feature.

    Stokes tore his hamstring playing for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred competition, forcing him to miss the side's last three matches against Sri Lanka, with England winning the series 2-1.

    At the end of September, the captain underwent a planned scan which showed he was “on track” to feature in the series, although he was not expected to bowl at the start.

    Stokes had been hoping to make his return in the series opener on Monday, but looked uncomfortable in England's first training session, and is yet to be given the green light.

    "I think he's got to do a few more tests, but he's been doing some running and stuff," Crawley said.

    "He seems to be going well, recovering well from his injury, [but] we don't know just yet. We feel ready, whatever team comes out, it will be a nice balance either way.

    "We've got a really deep squad with plenty of options with the ball and with the bat as well."

    If Stokes is available to play, they could have some selection headaches, as they would be forced to drop one of the top six batters with his inclusion to make way for an extra bowler.

    If they do not drop a batter, they could rely on Joe Root, who could also make history as he has 12,402 runs for England in men's tests and is just 71 away from surpassing Alastair Cook (12,472) as the all-time leading run-scorer.

    Crawley, meanwhile, has been cleared to feature after recovering from a broken finger that kept him out against Sri Lanka. 

    "I feel brand new. I'm looking forward to getting out there," Crawley added.

    "I couldn't pick up a bat for five weeks. I've certainly missed it, so I can't wait to get out there again with the boys.

    "It was a nasty break at the time, but I've recovered well, and I don't feel it at all while I'm batting.

    "I won't go at slip, just from advice from the doctor, but I feel like I could. I'm trying to rest it, but I did a few catches, and it feels fine. I'm just trying to follow the professional advice."

  • Carsley: No more 'copy and paste' England squads Carsley: No more 'copy and paste' England squads

    Interim England boss Lee Carsley says he will not "copy and paste" his squads, with players to be rewarded for strong club form with Three Lions call-ups.

    Carsley oversaw 2-0 Nations League victories over the Republic of Ireland and Finland last month, having taken the reins on a temporary basis after Gareth Southgate's resignation.

    The former under-21 boss announced his latest 25-man squad for upcoming matches against Greece and Finland on Thursday, making four changes from last month's party.

    Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke won his first call-up in seven years, with Eberechi Eze, Harry Maguire, Tino Livramento and Jarrod Bowen all left out.

    Predecessor Southgate was often criticised for sticking with a trusted core of players during his eight-year spell with the Three Lions, but Carsley says nobody is guaranteed a place under him.

    "In the back of my mind, I wanted to make sure it feels fresh," Carsley said.

    "When you get that email or WhatsApp to say that you've been called up, it's an achievement because it shouldn't be something that is taken for granted.

    "I thought it was important that it was not just a copy and paste. I want them to feel like they have earned their place in the squad."

    Tottenham midfielder James Maddison and Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford – both of whom were left out of Southgate's Euro 2024 squad – were among the players to be overlooked. 

    Carsley said he had been left with several tough decisions to make but had prioritised those in form in order to build rhythm before the 2026 World Cup qualifiers start next year.

    "The players I've left out, I could make a case for them being in, but ultimately I have to make those decisions," Carsley said.

    "The reality is you want a player to be coming in in top form and fighting for a position in the team.

    "Getting out of this Nations League is important for us in terms of setting up World Cup qualification. Whether I'm here or not, it's important we are in a favourable pattern and in a position to win the World Cup."

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