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Stokes sidelined after surgery on left knee

Allrounder had operation on cartilage tear picked up bowling against Sri Lanka and is will miss remainder of island nation's UK tour

England allrounder Ben Stokes underwent knee surgery Monday, while fellow international Reece Topley has been ruled out for three months with a back stress fracture.

Stokes suffered a cartilage tear while bowling in Sri Lanka's first innings last Friday with England en route to a commanding innings victory at Headingley.

Stokes ruled himself out of the remainder of Sri Lanka's tour on social media and said he had been managing the knee complaint for the past three years. The England and Wales Cricket Board have not offered any official prognosis on Stokes' return to cricket.

The news for Topley is clearer, and more worrying, with 'a partial stress fracture of the lumbar spine' likely to keep him sidelined for most of the season.

Stokes is unlikely to be seen again until the start of the Pakistan series in July, though England are not yet committing to a timescale.

An ECB statement read: "Ben Stokes has undergone surgery this afternoon to address a cartilage tear in his left knee. Full details on the length of his rehabilitation will be confirmed in due course."

Stokes has become a key player for England, scoring a test- best 258 in South Africa during the winter tour, the fastest test double-century by an England batsman.

It included an England test record 11 sixes and Stokes shared a world-record sixth-wicket partnership of 399 with Jonny Bairstow.

In Stokes' absence Warwickshire's Chris Woakes, who took nine wickets on Monday to celebrate his call-up for the second Test against Sri Lanka, and the uncapped Jake Ball will have the chance to impress.

Hampshire seamer Topley, who was in England's World Twenty20 squad and in contention to feature in all this summer's white-ball cricket, has been out since April 16 with a fractured thumb but now has much bigger problems to contend with.

"Reece Topley has been diagnosed with a partial stress fracture of the lumbar spine and will require a significant period of rehabilitation," the ECB's statement read.

"He will miss the next three months and will aim for a return for Hampshire before the end of the season."

There was better news for David Willey, who has a small abdominal tear and is aiming to make his return to action in Yorkshire's T20 match at Worcestershire on June 2.

Mark Wood, who missed the winter tour of South Africa as well as the World T20 with a recurring ankle problem, is also working towards a comeback.

The Durham paceman was said by the ECB to be "progressing well" and would return to a bowling programme this week.