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SYDNEY - England's Ashes defence was dealt a huge blow tonight when opener Marcus Trescothick left Australia with a recurrence of his stress-related illness.
Trescothick, 32, flew out of Sydney last night and will take no part in the series, which starts in Brisbane on November 23.
The veteran opener met with team management today and it was agreed he would return home, which continues a wretched year of personal misfortune for the left-hander.
Trescothick prematurely left England's tour of India in March when he was first diagnosed with a stress-related illness, and he then missed his country's Champions Trophy campaign, also in India, last month to spend time with his family.
England coach Duncan Fletcher and medical staff met with Trescothick today before the group agreed it was best he return home.
"Following discussions between Marcus and the England medical staff, it was decided that Marcus should fly home at the earliest opportunity," Fletcher said.
"We are naturally disappointed to lose a player of his quality from our Ashes squad and everyone in the dressing room hopes that he is able to make a full recovery and resume his cricketing career. "
Trescothick has never specified exactly what his illness entailed, although he last week revealed the condition involved a combination of depression and exhaustion.
Fletcher, his two assistants and captain Andrew Fletcher were tonight discussing how best to replace Trescothick, who was the only specialist batsman in the 16-man squad to have played an Ashes Test in Australia.
Trescothick scored 431 runs in the 2005 Ashes win over Australia and his form ensured England got off to several excellent starts.
However with him gone and captain Michael Vaughan injured, England must settle on a replacement opener to partner Andrew Strauss.
Youngster Alastair Cook, who has scored 761 runs in his first nine Tests as either an opener or first drop, is the obvious candidate to open against Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee, however that will still leave the tourists with the task of backing someone to bat at No.3.
England's new opener will get his chance almost immediately, as the tourists play South Australia in a three-day match in Adelaide starting Friday.
That match will be the visitors' last hit-out before they begin their Ashes defence.
Cook appears the logical choice to open with Strauss, having done so with Vaughan and Trescothick out of the team in 2006.
Ian Bell has batted at No.3 before and elevating him from the middle order would at least solve England's headache over which of he, Paul Collingwood and Cook would have missed out playing in Brisbane had Trescothick played.
Potential reinforcements include Owais Shah, who batted at No.3 for England in India and scored 88 and 38 in his only Test, Middlesex batsman Ed Joyce and Robert Key, who toured Australia in 2002-03.
That trio is scheduled to arrive in Australia tomorrow, in Perth, as part of a 14-man England academy squad.
Fletcher will hold a press conference at 10am tomorrow before the England team departs for Adelaide.
- AAP
