The surgery rules him out of next week's final Test at The Oval and the ICC Champions Trophy.

An ECB statement confirmed the situation following the Lancashire all-rounder's consultation with a specialist.

An England spokesman said: "He is out of the fourth Test and the ICC Trophy as we had expected to be the case."

However, there was no news, meanwhile, on Graham Thorpe.

It was hoped Thorpe might contact England coach Duncan Fletcher this week to put himself in the reckoning for a place in the Ashes squad.

But England's spokesman was unable to relate any developments on that front.