Liam Plunkett and Mark Footitt included in England squad for the 4th Ashes Test

Plunkett picked up four wickets & scored a half-century in his last Test for England against India at Lord’s in 2014

Liam Plunkett and uncapped left-arm fast bowler Mark Footitt have been included in the 14-man squad announced by the England selectors for the 4th Ashes Test. With James Anderson ruled out of the match beginning on Thursday at Trent Bridge, the hosts have decided to bolster their pace battery as they look to press home the advantage.

The selectors have retained their faith in opener Adam Lyth who has kept his place in the squad despite making only 72 runs in the three Tests against Australia so far. With England crushing the visitors within three days to take a 2-1 lead in the series, the perception is that they didn’t want to make any change apart from the enforced one of Anderson.

Plunkett’s last Test match came against India at Lord’s in 2014 where he picked up four wickets and scored his maiden half-century, but injury ruled him out for the remainder of the series. Footitt, who plays for Derbyshire, was part of the squad that went on a training camp to Spain ahead of the Ashes.

Neither of them are expected to make the final 11 though, with Mark Wood, who played the first two Tests before being replaced by Steven Finn, the hero at Edgbaston, expected to return to the squad in place of Anderson.

England squad: Alastair Cook (capt), Moeen Ali, Jonathan Bairstow, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler (wk), Steven Finn, Mark Footitt, Adam Lyth, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Mark Wood