Captain Ben Stokes says his knee injury “is in a much better place” as England prepare to take on Ireland in their only warm-up Test ahead of taking on Australia in this summer's Ashes.
Stokes has had cortisone injections in his left knee ahead of this year's Indian Premier League. The all-rounder then played only two games for Chennai Super Kings in the T20 tournament, having struggled for fitness during England's last red-ball series in New Zealand.
He did not bowl at all in England's last Test – February's defeat by New Zealand in Wellington – but Stokes insists he is ready and the only way he will be missing this summer is if he “can't walk”.
“Yeah, look the knee is in a much better place than it was in Wellington,” said the 31-year-old ahead of the game against Ireland at Lord's starting on Thursday.
“I've been in India for the IPL over the last nine to 10 weeks but what I have done is get myself into a position where I am not able to look back and regret or say I have not given myself the best opportunity to play a full role with the ball this summer.
“I have worked incredibly hard with the medical team in Chennai, who were liaising with the ECB guys and got myself into a place where I feel like I am back in a 2019, 2020 space in terms of my own body and fitness.”
“I have definitely given myself the best opportunity, but the mind and body are different things. But yeah, I have given myself the best chance. Unless I can't walk, I'll be on the field.”
Quizzed on whether an operation would be required in the long-term, Stokes insisted managing it was the answer and confirmed he could have another cortisone injection this summer if needed.
“We know what it is and it is about managing it,” Stokes added. “No [to having operation], it is just managing it with workload and working out with the medical team to get through it pretty much.
“Yeah, look I just said I don't plan ahead too much. That is obviously the medical side of things, but if needs be [an injection], yeah.”
England announced their team for only a second ever Test meeting with Ireland on Tuesday night with Josh Tongue given a surprise debut in place of Chris Woakes, who has taken 27 wickets and boasts an average of 11.33 in five Tests at Lord's.
Tongue has enjoyed a fine start to the season with Worcestershire, after enduring a 15-month absence from the game due to a shoulder problem, and dismissed Australia batter Steve Smith at the start of May.
Stokes said: “It was between Woakesy and Tonguey for this game, the way we looked at it was everyone knows what Chris Woakes offers to the team in terms of all-round ability with ball and bat.
“We see this as an opportunity to give Josh Tongue a chance, not just to see what he can do but to see what his character is like and how he can influence the game in the role I see he would play if he played a few more games this summer.
“I think it was just a great opportunity and something we couldn't look past.”
