Mumbai Indians announced on Tuesday that Archer’s England team-mate Chris Jordan will take his place in their ranks after the former left the IPL last month to have a minor procedure on his right elbow.

His latest rehabilitation period means the 28-year-old faces a fitness battle to participate in the Ashes, with the first Test against Australia starting at Edgbaston on June 16.

The Indian Premier League outfit tweeted: “Chris Jordan will join the MI squad for the rest of the season. Chris replaces Jofra Archer, whose recovery and fitness continues to be monitored by ECB. Jofra will return home to focus on his rehabilitation.”

SETBACK: England bowler Jofra Archer, pictured during the 1st T20 International between Bangladesh and England at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in March this year. After a short stint with Mubai Indians in the IPL, he is back home nursing an injury. Picture: Gareth Copley/Getty Images.

The England and Wales Cricket Board later confirmed Archer’s immediate return from the IPL, saying it has been “challenging” for him to attempt to play on through the injury.

An ECB statement added: “Archer has been recovering from right elbow surgery. However, pushing through the discomfort whilst recently playing, hoping it will settle, has proven challenging. Therefore, it has been agreed for him to return to the UK for a period of rest and rehabilitation to give him the best opportunity for a full recovery.

“The ECB would like to thank the Mumbai Indians for their support and cooperation during this time.

“Archer will return to the UK this week and will work on his rehab with the ECB medical department and Sussex County Cricket Club, respectively.”

England’s medical team have been working closely with their counterparts in Mumbai, with Archer still only a few months into his comeback following stress fractures to his elbow and then his back.

He put in some encouraging performances on his England return in the white-ball tours of South Africa and Bangladesh, leading to suggestions he could have a starring role in this summer’s Ashes series.

Sussex indicated ahead of the county season that Archer may not play any first-class cricket for them before the Ashes, and the difference in workload between T20 and Test cricket is stark.

Archer, who has not played a first-class match since May 2021, has been keen to play down expectations and said when he was out in Bangladesh recently: “If I can play one (Ashes) game this summer, I’ll be happy.

“If I play more than one, that’s just a bonus.”

England manager director Rob Key had hoped that Archer could play a major role across the summer, with the team’s first Test outing coming against Ireland at Lord’s on June 1-4.

“We’re going to select for the Ireland test,” Key told Sky Sports last week.

“Hopefully he’ll be available for selection for that, at this point I’m assuming he will be.

“Then we’ve got a crop of bowlers, Ben (Stokes) has spoken about how he wants eight bowlers, at least, ready for the Ashes, which we’ve got and more actually.

“We expect Jofra to be a massive part of that, and I think Jofra at some point will have a massive impact in the Ashes.”

Archer made his Test debut against Australia in August 2019 and has gone on to take 42 wickets in 13 Tests since.

England and Kent wicketkeeper Sam Billings has revealed he had two operations to remove skin cancer from his chest last year and warned against the dangers of continued exposure to the sun.

Billings took part in a skin cancer screening session organised by his county at the end of last summer, and a mole was removed for further tests which confirmed a melanoma.

Another procedure was scheduled to remove an area around where the mole had been.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Billings recalled how while his recovery was swift that “mentally it was definitely more challenging than physically”.

Billings, 31, hopes his experiences can help others protect themselves.

“Last October I had a bit of a reality check, two operations to remove skin cancer off my chest put cricket on the back burner for a little while and into perspective,” Billings wrote on Instagram.

“We all are pretty blase when it comes to putting suncream on, but it really has to change.

“As cricketers we’re exposed to the sun so much and we can all be more diligent.”

Billings is backing a campaign with Professional Cricketers’ Association partners LifeJacket Skin Protection to raise awareness of the issues.

“Cases have doubled over the last 20 years and will continue to double again over the next 20 years,” he added.

Jofra Archer doubtful for England v Australia Ashes Test showdown after leaving IPL's Mumbai Indians early to nurse injury