Essex opener Tom Westley has had surgery on a broken finger he sustained in the LV= Challenge loss to England and will miss up to six weeks of action.
Westley was unable to bat in his side’s second innings and incurred the injury fielding a shot from England captain and Essex team-mate Alastair Cook on day three of the national side’s 228-run victory at Chelmsford.
There is, however, better news elsewhere on the injury front for Essex, who drafted in England squad member Boyd Rankin and Reece Topley during the four-day contest due to other ailments among their team.
Essex also had concerns over veteran David Masters after he tweaked his Achilles. Unlike Westley, though, Masters was able to bat yesterday and he made 14 before becoming the final wicket to fall when he gave Swann a fifth victim.
Left-arm seamer Tymal Mills’ hamstring injury meant he was also unable to take his place in Essex’s batting line-up on the final day but the county are hopeful he will only miss between seven and 10 days.
Mills, who gave England their own injury scare when he struck Graeme Swann on the bowling arm with a pacy delivery, will undergo a scan on the muscle to determine the full extent of his strain.
Masters’ injury is described as ‘mild’ by Essex, who are hopeful he will available for their Friends Life t20 clashes with Kent Spitfires, Middlesex Panthers and Sussex Sharks next week.
Discussing the nature of the trio’s injuries, Essex physio Chris Clarke-Irons said: “It has been a challenging couple of days with injuries to some of the players but only one appears serious.
“We are looking to have a fully-fit squad next week, apart from Tom, for the busy fixture schedule ahead.”