Ollie Pope is a significant doubt for the third Ashes Test at Headingley, with scans on his injured right shoulder scheduled for Monday. England are preparing for a potential reshuffle as the match begins on Thursday.
Pope injured his shoulder on the first day of the second Test at Lord's and aggravated it on the third day. Although he batted in both innings, his condition remains a concern, and playing another Test so soon could worsen the injury. England are also mindful that withdrawing Pope from the field twice at Lord's, only for him to bat as scheduled, may test the spirit of the laws and the patience of Australia.
England have released Matthew Potts and Rehan Ahmed from their squad and have not called up another batter. Dan Lawrence, who averages 44.6 in the County Championship this season, is the only back-up option, though another player could be added if Pope is ruled out.
With a short turnaround between Tests, both teams are likely to shuffle their bowling attacks. England could recall Moeen Ali, who has recovered from a finger injury and is bowling well in nets. Jimmy Anderson has taken only three wickets in the first two Tests, while Ollie Robinson and Stuart Broad have 10 and 11 respectively. Mark Wood opted out of Lord's to focus on fitness for Headingley, and Chris Woakes provides further cover.
