JOSH Tongue has been ruled out of England Lions' winter tour of the West Indies through injury but there was better news for Worcestershire team-mate Joe Clarke.

Paceman Tongue aggravated an ankle problem during the pre-Christmas Lions training camp in Australia and is to see a consultant next Wednesday about the setback.

But his County colleague Joe Clarke remains in the squad and is part of a trio of young batsmen identified by England head coach Trevor Bayliss as a potential contender to break into the senior squad.

Clarke, Lancashire’s Liam Livingstone and Essex’s Dan Lawrence have been named by Bayliss.

Tongue, 20, had been selected for the four-day section of next month's trip to the Caribbean and will be replaced by Somerset off-spinner Dominic Bess.

Meanwhile, Bayliss says it is important for up-and-coming talent to be “given a chance sooner rather than later”.

Clarke, 21, made his first senior appearance in England colours last month and scored 45 in a two-day friendly with a Cricket Australia XI in Perth.

A full squad for the tour of New Zealand is to be announced shortly.

Bayliss said: “There’s been some chat over the past few series about how we can start getting in some of those younger players.

“We’ve seen Craig Overton and Tom Curran make their debuts on this (Ashes) tour and possibly Mason Crane as well.

“From a batting point of view, we want to see some of the younger guys in England pushing a little harder to get in.

“Livingstone, Lawrence and Clarke have all been mentioned in the past six months or so as being the next guys coming through.

“We need an opportunity to put them in. Is this the opportunity? And we have to ask if the guys here in the Ashes squad have done enough to warrant further selection.

“You want to see young guys putting pressure on. It’s important for the team’s success over the long term that they are given a chance sooner rather than later.”

Lions have a training camp at Desert Springs Resort, Spain, from January 20 until 25 ahead of their departure on January 31 for Jamaica.

They will play a three-day warm-up at Sabina Park ahead of four-day matches at Trelawny and Sabina Park before switching to Antigua for the third four-day match against West Indies A followed by the one-day series.

Worcestershire paceman George Scrimshaw, 19, is part of the ECB Pace Programme this winter.

Those selected are taking part in a three-day get together at Loughborough this week and for the following two weeks.

Scrimshaw will fly out to Potchefstroom on January 25 for a two-week warm weather training camp.

They will meet again on February 27 for another warm weather training camp at Desert Springs.