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Jack Draper absent for Great Britain’s Davis Cup tie against Poland

Jack Draper will miss Great Britain’s Davis Cup tie against Poland next weekend through injury.

Jack Draper will miss Great Britain’s Davis Cup tie against Poland next weekend through injury.

The world number five pulled out of the US Open ahead of his scheduled second-round match because of a flare-up of the bone bruising in his left arm that had kept him sidelined since Wimbledon.

The Davis Cup World Group match in Gdynia on September 12-13 comes too soon for Draper, with questions marks over when he will be able to return.

Davis Cup captain Leon Smith said: “It goes without saying that obviously it’s a real shame that we can’t call upon Jack Draper to be in the team with his injury and of course we wish him the best with his recovery and for the rest of the season.”

In Draper’s absence, Cameron Norrie will lead Britain’s team alongside Jacob Fearnley, while there are three debutants named in Wimbledon doubles champions Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool plus Arthur Fery.

Norrie missed the first-round defeat by Japan in February, where Scot Fearnley made his debut, winning one of his two singles matches.

Cash and Glasspool are the world’s top-ranked doubles players after a superb season – capped by their Wimbledon triumph – and they have been given the nod over experienced duo Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski.

Julian Cash, left and Lloyd Glasspool hold their Wimbledon trophies
Julian Cash (left) and Lloyd Glasspool celebrated Wimbledon glory this summer (John Walton/PA)

Cash and Glasspool were surprisingly beaten in the first round of the US Open, but that will give them extra time to prepare for the Davis Cup, while 23-year-old Fery will provide singles back-up.

Poland are without their only top-100 players Hubert Hurkacz and Kamil Majchrzak because of injury and are led by world number 430 Maks Kasnikowski.

Britain will therefore be strong favourites for the tie, with the winners having a chance next year to challenge for the trophy.