Injured cheekbone to keep Ben Stokes out of action until May

Ben Stokes, England’s Test captain, is going to be missing in action for the first month of the county season with Durham after undergoing surgery on a broken cheekbone last month. The talismanic all-rounder was struck in the face by a Durham academy player while providing assistance in the nets in early February.

He was subsequently part of the coaching staff for England Lions white-ball series against Pakistan Shaheens in the UAE, but is yet to be deemed fit for a playing return. Durham had originally slotted him in for their campaign opener against Kent next week, but Ryan Campbell, the club’s head coach, said that Stokes was unlikely to participate before their fifth game, against Worcestershire starting on May 8.

“The incident could have been horrific,” Campbell said at Durham’s pre-season media day. “So, so much worse than what you think. A couple of centimetres a different way it hits him in the eye and it could have been different. The ball was hit so hard. We are just lucky he got away with it.”

Stokes has not played competitively since copping a groin injury during the fifth Ashes Test in January.