Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes rested for final game before Champions Trophy amid injury concerns
England take on South Africa at Lord's on Monday and the trio will all sit the game out
BEN STOKES admits he does not know if his nagging knee injury will let him bowl in the Champions Trophy.
Stokes, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes are all set to miss England’s final warm-up against South Africa on Monday.
ECB chiefs insist the trio will be fit for Thursday’s Group A opener against Bangladesh. But Stokes, 25, — who could only manage three overs on Saturday — revealed: “I feel the knee in my delivery stride.
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“Sometimes it just goes away — we only find out how it is when I start bowling.
“I have good days and bad days so I could wake up tomorrow and it’ll be completely gone. I’ll have to monitor it over the next few days.”
Stokes’ century set up Saturday’s series-clinching win over South Africa but his left knee forced him out of the bowling attack.
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He added: “Batting and running around is fine.
“I’ve had the problem for two or three years. It’s all about managing it.
“I’ll have more scans then the doctors will know what we can do to maybe take the problem away.”
Moeen has a groin problem while Woakes missed Saturday’s game with a sore right thigh.
England have called up Middlesex duo Steven Finn and Toby Roland-Jones plus Hampshire spinner Liam Dawson as cover for Monday’s clash at Lord’s.