England and Surrey fast bowler Jamie Overton has sustained a stress fracture in his spine and is set to be out for an unknown period of time.
The 28-year-old had been in the UAE and due to play for Gulf Giants in the inaugural ILT20 competition.
Overton returned home for further tests where the fracture was confirmed.
Surrey said he will now begin a period of rehabilitation but have not confirmed how long he will be out for.
England begin this summer’s Ashes at Edgbaston on 16 June while Surrey’s County Championship season starts against Lancashire on 6 April.
Overton made his Test debut for England against New Zealand at Headingley in June last year and scored a first-innings 97 with the bat to help turn the tide of victory England’s way.
He took 34 wickets in 10 matches and scored 355 runs for Surrey as part of their 2022 County Championship title-winning campaign.
However he missed two months last summer because of hand and foot injuries, including being part of the Manchester Originals team in The Hundred.
It is the second time Overton has suffered a stress fracture in his back after the same injury prematurely called time on his 2016 season when he was with Somerset.
