Eoin Morgan played down fears Joe Root had suffered a calf injury after England’s star batsman limped his way to an unbeaten 133 against Bangladesh.
With Chris Woakes’ tournament already in jeopardy after he suffered a side strain only two overs into his bowling spell, England can ill afford an injury to another key player – particularly with Ben Stokes’ managing a left knee problem.
Woakes went for a scan on Thursday to assess the damage, following England’s eight-wicket victory in the first match of the Champions Trophy – but he may play no further part in the competition. Root needed painkillers after appearing to strain his calf when playing a pull shot on 59.
As he regained balance after the stroke, Root’s right foot gave way – causing him obvious pain. He appeared to be moving freely later in his innings, his best England one-day score and his 10th hundred, but he remains a worry.
England captain Morgan said: “Joe is alright. He wasn't in extreme pain. It was manageable, so given that we have four days between now and the next game (against New Zealand), hopefully he'll rest up well and be fully fit.
“At the moment Chris doesn’t feel right. He went straight off the field. He's obviously been very impressive for us over the last couple of years, a mainstay, a very reliable guy. And it is a worry when he goes off the field and can't come back on and bowl.”
Root believes the problem may have been merely cramp and added: “It is alright. I must not have eaten well enough before the game. I don’t see it as too big an issue.”
Liam Plunkett took four for 59 as Bangladesh made 305 for six, which England chased down with 16 balls to spare. Alex Hales made 95 and Eoin Morgan finished 75 not out.
The only blemish on the England card was another failure for Jason Roy. The opener looked jittery as he scored just a single and now has only one score above 20 in his last nine one-day innings.
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Just as he did before the tournament, though, Morgan supported Roy resolutely. He said: “I thought he was terribly unlucky today. We certainly believe in him.”
