England's Test summer plans in disarray as key player suffers injury

England has been dealt a significant blow ahead of their upcoming Test summer as promising fast bowler Josh Tongue has suffered a setback in his recovery from a pectoral injury, leaving him sidelined indefinitely.

Despite not having played since August last year, Tongue was considered a top contender to fill the void left by James Anderson's impending retirement from Test cricket after the first match against the West Indies.

Tongue has been grappling with a pectoral issue since his impressive performances in two Test matches last year. This setback forced him to miss England's white-ball tour of the Caribbean and the ICC World Test Championship series in India earlier this year.

This latest setback means Tongue will miss England's upcoming three-match series against the West Indies and raises doubts about his availability for the subsequent series against Sri Lanka.

According to a statement from the England camp, Tongue's injury has suffered a regression, and there's no clear timeline for his return to action.

Tongue had made a memorable start to his international career, claiming a five-wicket haul on his debut against Ireland and repeating the feat in the second Ashes Test against Australia at Lord's.

With Anderson set to retire following the first Test against the West Indies in July, Tongue had been identified as a potential successor. However, his injury setback has cast uncertainty over his future involvement in the national team.