Steven Finn is set to return for England in the third Investec Test at Edgbaston, after captain Alastair Cook made a "tough call" between him and Jake Ball.

Cook admitted he was awake in the middle of the night deliberating which of the two should complete England's seam attack against Pakistan - but in the end Finn's proven Test record made his mind up.

The 27-year-old Watford-born Middlesex bowler will therefore replace injured all-rounder Ben Stokes, at a venue where he performed well in last summer's Ashes success.

Cook said: "Finny is coming in for Ben Stokes, and (otherwise we're) as we were."

That means England are planning to pick Moeen Ali as their only spinner, with Adil Rashid again missing out.

"Unless the pitch changes a lot from what I saw yesterday - we still have the right to change - we'll be going with the four seamers and one spinner," added Cook.

The choice between Finn and Ball was more marginal.

Both sat out last week's series-levelling victory at Old Trafford, only for Stokes to succumb to a calf injury there.

"It was a tough call - as I found out at two o'clock this morning when I was wide awake thinking about it," said Cook.

"We've gone for a guy who's got a proven Test record, who's taken 120 wickets and has a knack of taking wickets.

"He has good memories here of last year. He hasn't quite been at his best this year - there have been a few factors in that, (but) physically he's now better and has had a couple of things sorted out in the last week."