England vs West Indies: Host face nervous wait over Eoin Morgan and Jason Roy injuries
The England captain suffered what is believed to be a back spasm while Roy felt a tightness in his hamstring
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Your support makes all the difference.Eoin Morgan and Jason Roy will both be assessed this weekend after pulling up injured during England’s eight-wicket win over West Indies at Southampton.
Both men picked up injuries during the West Indies innings and neither man batted, as England comfortably reached 213 for two thanks to Joe Root’s unbeaten century.
Morgan suffered a back injury, which he believes to be a back spasm, and the England captain expects to know how serious it is on Saturday. Roy felt a tightness in his hamstring, limping off early during the West Indies innings, and he will also have a scan on Saturday, with England expecting to learn the prognosis on Sunday.
The injuries leave England waiting on both men to know if they will be fit for England’s next group game, against Afghanistan at Old Trafford on Tuesday. After that, England play Sri Lanka at Headingley next Saturday.
Morgan had to give his post-match press conference standing up because his back problem meant that he could not sit down. “I have had back spasms before, I think this is another,” he said. “It takes a few days to settle down. It’s unclear [how bad it is], we will know more in the next 24 hours.”
Asked whether he could recover within three days, as he did from a back spasm suffered in the past, Morgan said he did not know. “It is in a different area. We should have a good indication the following day.”
Morgan said it was not the time for “panic stations” even after two of England’s top batsmen limped off in the same game. “When any two players go down it is a bit of a worry,” he said. “But it’s not panic stations yet. We will see how we get on in the next 48 hours and go from there. We will do a risk assessment going into the next game. It is not ideal going into the two games in a short space [of time].”
Morgan was full of praise for Root, who anchored England’s innings with his second century of the tournament. “I am exceptionally pleased for him,” he said. “He is the highest scored in the tournament and has scored two 100s. He is the glue that holds everything together. People haven’t seen his expansive game, but he never goes at less than a run a ball, and he was exceptional to watch. To see him in this form is brilliant.”
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