Pietersen may sit out third Test

The former England skipper was expected to meet a doctor after the end of the second Test at Lord’s here on Monday for another injection into his problematic Achilles tendon, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Pietersen had already admitted that his achilles injury is always playing on his mind and is affecting his performance in the ongoing Ashes series. And if there is no improvement before the third Test it is hard to see him being fit enough to play.

Pietersen already had a homeopathic injection and a cortisone injection in the tendon and the next procedure will be a saline solution with a small percentage of cortisone, which is intended to cushion the movement of the tendon within its sheath.

The treatment is unpredictable and it can turn out to be a miracle cure, or prove completely ineffective. But the most likely result is that it will give temporary relief, ideally for three or four weeks and that could allow him to avoid surgery in the short term. If Pietersen opts for surgery it will take him six months to get back on field.