Due to a broken toe, Brydon Carse is out of the Champions Trophy.

Brydon Carse has been ruled out of the rest of England's Champions Trophy campaign, starting with their must-win game against Afghanistan on Wednesday. Due to a left toe injury that has required constant treatment throughout his playing career, Carse did not participate in England's Monday training session. Even though the Durham fast bowler was determined to be fit enough to play against Australia on Saturday, his discomfort was evident on the field and in the scoreboard. He finished as the most expensive bowler on the day with an economy rate of 9.85 as Australia chased down a target of 352 runs with 15 balls remaining. The issue with the toe began as a blister during the recent white-ball series in India, which required stitches and saw Carse miss the final two ODIs. It is now known that it has gotten worse and may need more treatment. As such, the 29-year-old has been withdrawn from England's 15-man squad ahead of their Group B encounter with Afghanistan in Lahore, with their final fixture against South Africa coming up in Karachi on Saturday. The ICC endorsed his withdrawal on Monday afternoon. With no need for a like-for-like substitute, leg spinner Rehan Ahmed has been called up to fill Carse's spot. England's spin stocks will be strengthened by Rehan, who was not used on the India tour. Adil Rashid, a fellow leggie, is the only frontline option. Root and Liam Livingstone were forced to cooperate with Australia to support Rashid's work because of this. He is not expected to be available against Afghanistan, however, as he is due to arrive in Pakistan on the day of the match. An extra, reliable spinning option could be important if England are able to squeeze into the semi-finals as they may end up playing in Dubai, which has been more amenable to turn, against India, who are assured of a place in the last four after victory over Pakistan on Sunday. Carse's absence should mean a return to the XI for Jamie Overton for the Afghanistan fixture, given that he offers similar skillsets as a bowling allrounder. The 15-man squad has Saqib Mahmood and Gus Atkinson as additional seam cover. For Carse, this setback comes at the end of what has been a positive, if grueling winter. After serving a three-month ban last summer for historic gambling offences, Carse has been touring continuously since the end of the 2024 season. A Test debut in Pakistan - eight days after playing all of a five-match ODI series against Australia - was the first of five Test caps before the end of the year, concluding with three back-to-back in New Zealand. He then played five matches in India before the Champions Trophy, where he hurt his left toe. At the beginning of a year that includes significant Test matches against India and Australia, the setback adds another layer to the management of England's fast-bowling reserves. The severity of the injury may also determine whether Carse is able to take up a contract with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL after earning a £100,000 deal during the latest auction.