England fast bowler Jofra Archer’s Test debut has been deferred due to ongoing rehabilitation from a side strain.

Archer was named in the 14-man squad for the Ashes series opener, which will start at Edgbaston on Thursday, but won’t be included in the playing XI.

‘Jofra is coming back from quite a serious injury. We looked at conditions and made a decision on what we thought would best take 20 wickets here,’ said captain Joe Root.

‘It also gives him time to get absolutely ready and fit to make sure he has his workloads up and ready to go for later in the series if he needs to make an impact. His fitness will be monitored throughout the week. It’s important that he’s ready to go to offer something different.’

Archer’s absence leaves veteran seamer James Anderson with additional responsibility. Anderson was rested for last week’s one-off Test againt Ireland at Lord’s and, with 575 wickets, is nearing 600.

Only Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan, Australia’s Shane Warne and India’s Anil Kumble have taken more than 600 Test wickets.

‘James is still someone that genuinely continues to improve. You just have to look at his numbers these last few years. Conditions have suited him but he’s absolutely made the most of it,’  added Root.

‘He probably had his best tour of Australia in the recent past, he continues to find ways of taking wickets and building pressure on any given surface, he continues to be a great leader of our attack.’

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