Stokes out but England otherwise unchanged

Ben Stokes has been left out of the squad for the third Test against Pakistan after MRI scans confirmed a torn calf muscle. England have opted not to replace him for Edgbaston, sticking with the 13 other players named for the Old Trafford Test, with Jake Ball, Steven Finn and Adil Rashid the candidates to come into the XI.

Confirmation of a calf tear almost certainly rules Stokes out of the rest of the Test series, although England have indicated he will be reviewed by the medical team in Birmingham on Monday. With back-to-back Tests coming up, it is little more than two weeks until the final match at The Oval, starting on August 11.

England levelled the series with a 330-run win at Old Trafford, in which Stokes scored 34 batting at No. 7 and took 2 for 39 in Pakistan's first innings. He pulled up holding his right calf during his sixth over in Pakistan's second innings and left the field immediately. He had only just returned to the side after missing three Tests with an injury to his left knee.

The knee problem, which required minor surgery to fix a cartilage tear, meant Stokes played no part in the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka and he could now be out for the rest of the summer. England play five ODIs and a T20 international against Pakistan between August 24 and September 7.

England have become used to shuffling their order this summer and Stokes' absence is likely to see Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes all move up a place. Ball, who made his debut against Pakistan at Lord's, or Finn, who took eight wickets on his comeback at Edgbaston last year, would provide a fourth seam-bowling option, while Rashid could play his first home Test if the pitch looks likely to turn.

The policy of sticking with the same group of players seems likely to hand James Vince another chance. Vince is currently averaging 18.57 after five Tests, with a high score of 42, and has yet to prove himself in England's new-look middle-order.

England's dominant performance at Old Trafford was based around a century from Alastair Cook and Joe Root's career-best 254 at No. 3, but, despite the margin of victory, some issues remain. Gary Ballance's return to Test cricket has resulted in scores of 6, 43 and 23, while Alex Hales has struggled against Pakistan's new-ball bowlers. Moeen Ali's all-round contribution has also come under scrutiny, although he picked up five wickets in the second Test, his best returns since being named Man of the Match in England's win in Durban before Christmas.