England seamer Steven Finn has been ruled out of the final test with a side strain injury, but is expected to return in time for the T20 World Cup which starts in March.
The three players which may replace Finn for the final Test against South Africa are Chris Jordan, Mark Footitt and Chris Woakes, all in with a chance of playing in the test, which commences on Friday morning. But who is going to replace him? Let's take a look at the candidates.
Chris Jordan
Out of the three, Jordan is the least likely to feature as his style of bowling wouldn’t work too well in these conditions, and he also is someone who is lacking match sharpness after having a long lay-off through injury in the past year. Something which would help his case for selection is his all-round ability, as he is a tremendous fielder, particularly in the slips, and has taken a number of fantastic catches in his short England career.
He is also somewhat useful with the bat, averaging 18 from his 11 test innings to date, which is something that may be considred with England keen to have a long batting line-up. He's been steady, if not spectacular, in Test cricket so far, as his record shows him taking 21 wickets from eight tests at an average of 35.
Mark Footitt
Mark Footitt has got a strong chance of coming into the team in the place of Finn, with is left-arm bowling being something that England don't currently have in their team. If South Africa didn't already have enough on their plate handling the likes of Stuart Broad, Ben Stokes and James Anderson, someone coming in from a different angle could make things even tougher.
It would be a great chance for England to have a look at Footitt, who is yet to make his international bow, despite being in the squad for the tour against Pakistan and for all of this one. Age isn't on his side, at 30-year-old Footitt is no youngster and should really be pressing his case for a place in the team, as if he doesn't cement his place now then it's going to be tough for him to make himself a permanent fixture in the side. He also plays for Derbyshire in the second division domestically which will hamper his chances as the quality in the second division is nothing like as high as that in the top division, and for him to get more recognition he may have to move to a division one team.
Chris Woakes
Selecting Chris Woakes for the final test would be the safe option for England to take, as he has already played a part in this series, having bowled in the first test in the absence of Anderson. He is also a good all round cricketer, and so England would feel secure were they to select the Warwickshire player because he's been a regular across the board in many of England's cricket squads following coming back from injury, which saw him sideline for of much of last season.
Up to now he has played in just five tests, taking just seven wickets at an average of 53, which may come as a shock to many as Woakes is largely seen as wicket taker and a danger to any side. He's still young at just 26 and has certainly got time on his side to make a mark for his country on the Test scene, despite the high level of competition that he's got with Mark Wood, who played such an important role in England retaining the Ashes in the summer, also being out with injury.
Woakes bowls a tight line and often has a good economy so would always be able to tie up an end if Broad or Anderson were to get on a run, but the fact he's already had a test in this series could go against him if England want to try something else.
Who is to feature?
It definitely looks like Jordan is the least likely to feature, with the limited overs games being more realistic opportunities for him to get a game.
The smart money would be on Woakes lining up come Friday morning, due to England liking a sense of consistency in the team, but there are many within the cricketing world that would like to see Footitt given a go, and he might just do enough in the nets to get that chance.