England can cope without injured Chris Woakes, reckons skipper Eoin Morgan

Although pacer Chris Woakes is ruled out of the Champions Trophy, Eoin Morgan believes England can cope without his services. Woakes wasn’t able to take the field for the second time after he walked off during the tournament opener against Bangladesh – he had bowled just the two overs.

Having undergone a scan for side strains, Woakes will not take part in the remainder of the tournament as it typically takes six weeks to recover from the said injury. The pacer has been a vital cog in England’s bowling line-up in the past year. His consistency was even on display during the recently concluded Indian Premier League, where he bagged a total of 17 wickets for the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Would be a loss if Chris Woakes couldn’t play: Morgan

Captain of the English team Eoin Morgan admitted that Woakes’ injury will be a big blow to the side. “At the moment it doesn’t feel right – he went straight off the field and didn’t come back on. Side strains are a big confidence thing, aren’t they? He would definitely be a loss if he couldn’t play,” he said.

“He’s been very impressive for us over the last couple of years, a mainstay, and a very reliable guy. And it is a worry when he goes off the field and can’t come back on and bowl,” Morgan added.

England are hence likely to call up Toby Roland-Jones as a replacement for the 28-year-old. Roland-Jones was recently seen in action in the one-dayers against South Africa. Morgan, however, believed the team would be able to cope without Woakes for the rest of the tournament. “Some of the guys today picked up the load pretty well,” he said about the players performance in the match against Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, Joe Root also suffered an injury scare en route his 133 as he seemed to have done some damage his right calf. Root however clarified that it was only a cramp. “It’s alright it looks like it’s just a bit of cramp,” said Root. “I must not have eaten well enough this morning. I don’t see it as too big an issue.”

England next take on New Zealand in Cardiff on Tuesday.