Injury-prone quick Jofra Archer is closing in on a long-awaited return to action, with England hopeful he will be fit for June's Twenty20 World Cup in the USA .

The 28-year-old has not played professional cricket since a recurrence of an elbow problem during the Indian Premier League in May.

He has been plagued by injuries since bursting onto the international scene by helping England win the 50-over World Cup in 2019 before starring in that summer's Ashes.

Archer trained with England during their white-ball tour of the Caribbean in December and the nation's managing director of cricket Robert Key is optimistic the quick can play a part in their T20 World Cup defence.

"Our plan is the T20 World Cup, building him up slowly," Key told the BBC's Tailenders podcast.

"I saw him bowl in the Caribbean and it was like he'd never been away.

"I don't want to get back to this thing where he plays and then goes down again.

"He wanted to play in the IPL, but we said 'not this time'. Hopefully the years he has missed he can add to the end of his career. He is such a talent."

England begin their T20 World Cup against Scotland in Barbados on June 4.