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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Matthew Cooper

James Anderson and Stuart Broad snubs loom large over England amid Ollie Robinson fears

England interim head coach Paul Collingwood has admitted there are fears over Ollie Robinson's fitness ahead of the first Test against the West Indies next week.

Robinson was forced off midway through England's sole warm-up match after suffering a back spasm, with Collingwood saying the injury "doesn't look good".

Concerns about Robinson's fitness levels reared their head in the recent Ashes series, with the seamer regularly taking time off the field, struggling with a similar back spasm issue in the fifth Test and bowling coach Jon Lewis publicly warning him he 'needs to be a fitter bowler'.

With Robinson's latest fitness issue meaning he is a doubt for the first Test, England's controversial decision to drop legendary duo James Anderson and Stuart Broad is already beginning to loom large over the tour.

England's controversial decision to drop James Anderson and Stuart Broad has been further highlighted by Ollie Robinson's fitness concerns (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Mark Wood, England's most impressive performer in the Ashes, is also a concern for the first Test, having not bowled at all during the warm-up match due to illness.

"Ollie has got a back spasm, it's not ideal. It's hard to say at the moment, but when someone walks off like that it doesn't look good," Collingwood told Sky Sports .

"These kind of spasms can heal as quickly as they come. We'll just have to assess it. I certainly don't think Ollie will be bowling on day four, that would be too much of a risk.

"As a bowler you do pick up injuries. It's something we're always on top of with Ollie and he knows that, but he's working hard, as hard as anyone else, and it's unfortunate when something like that happens.

"Test cricket is a hell of a lot different to playing a four-day county match. Sometimes we expect these guys to come from county cricket and be the finished article. They're certainly not, not skill-wise and not physically.

"I'm sure he understands his body pretty well from county cricket, but we can't take risks with him and push him too far, too soon."

Mark Wood is struggling with illness ahead of the West Indies series (Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

While fears have been raised over Robinson, England's interim head coach did provide a "positive" outlook on Wood's fitness levels.

"Mark has gone for precautionary blood tests today, but I'm hoping to get two or three spells out of him. His loads have been good in training and I can't add any more days into the schedule, so hopefully it will be enough."

Joe Root's side begin their three-Test series against the West Indies next Tuesday, desperate to bounce back from their Ashes humiliation.

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