James Anderson has handed England another injury scare after missing the start of day two of Lancashire’s County Championship meeting with Somerset over a “minor issue”.
The seamer took two for 16 on the opening day of the game at Old Trafford on Thursday, but was missing as the sides took the field on the second morning.
“Jimmy is off the field with a minor issue, which is currently being assessed,” a Lancashire spokesperson said.
Anderson has been in typically excellent form at the start of the season, taking 14 wickets across three matches prior to this week’s round of fixtures.
England start their Test summer against Ireland at Lord’s in less than three weeks’ time and, beyond that, Anderson will be vital to their hopes of regaining the Ashes, with the series against Australia due to start at Edgbaston on June 16.
England are already set to be without Olly Stone for that match after the quick suffered a hamstring injury in action for Nottinghamshire last weekend, while Jofra Archer’s hopes of featuring at all in the series are up in the air after he returned home early from the IPL to rest following more elbow issues.
Ben Stokes has claimed to want a squad of eight fast bowlers to rotate throughout the five Test Ashes series, but that is looking increasingly unlikely.
