England Men’s Test captain Ben Stokes will likely miss the first month of the 2026 County Championship as he recovers from surgery on a broken cheekbone.
Stokes sustained the injury while participating in a Durham nets session earlier in February. After undergoing surgery for the broken cheekbone, he has been part of the coaching staff for the England Lions tour against the Pakistan Shaheens in the UAE but has not yet been cleared to return to playing.
Durham coach Ryan Campbell confirmed that Stokes hoped to play three to four games before England’s Test summer but will be unavailable until at least May 8, when they face Worcestershire.
“[The incident] could have been horrific,” Campbell said during Durham’s pre-season media day. “If it had hit him a couple of centimeters differently, it could have been much worse. The ball was hit so hard, and we are just lucky he got away with it,” Campbell noted.
Stokes last played in the fifth Test of the Ashes in Sydney, where he limped off with an adductor injury on the penultimate day. He will remain with coach Brendon McCullum and ECB Managing Director Rob Key after a disappointing 4-1 defeat in Australia.
Campbell added that Stokes is eager to return following the winter performance. “He has been training hard to prepare. He has much to prove after the Ashes didn’t go well. He is a proud man who wants England to be the best team in the world and is focused on getting fit and ready,” Campbell stated.
England will play New Zealand in a three-match Test series, starting with the first match on June 4 at Lord’s.