It is understood the injury is not related to any of his previous injuries; last year he had missed a chunk of Sri Lanka’s games with a torn pectoral muscle, and prior to that he had undergone surgery for an ankle injury.
The extent of the current injury is unknown. The 32-year-old fast bowler underwent a scan following Friday’s game, the results of which have been sent to a specialist in the UK for consultation.
“He’s feeling better now, but we won’t know for sure the exact nature of his injury until we hear back from the specialist,” Sri Lanka’s team manager Mahinda Halangoda told ESPNcricinfo.
Fernando, his replacement in the squad, last played an ODI in November 2022, also against Afghanistan. He has played five ODIs in all, picking up the solitary wicket.