SOMERSET all-rounder Lewis Gregory has been forced to withdraw from this winter’s England Performance Programme (EPP) due to a back injury.

The 23 year-old from Plympton is suffering from a lower back injury, which will prevent him from taking any part in the EPP and England Lions training and playing programme before and after Christmas.

Gregory, who enjoyed a successful season with the ball in the championship in 2015, had been due to attend the EPP batting and spin camp in Dubai from mid-November, followed by playing for England Lions in the Twenty20 (T20) series against Pakistan ‘A’ in the UAE in December.

But Gregory will now undergo a bespoke rehabilitation programme, working towards regaining full fitness for the start of the 2016 domestic cricket season - and is naturally disappointed and frustrated to be missing out.

He said: "Obviously it's not the best news in the world. It's really disappointing but it's something that you have to deal with as a professional sportsman.

“It's now a case of getting fit for next year so that I can go out and perform in the summer for Somerset. I'll be here over the winter now with a rehab programme that's being put in place.

“After Christmas we'll look at some options with regards to potentially going away and batting for a club somewhere but we will have to wait and see."