Yorkshire will be unable to call on Ryan Sidebottom when they face the experienced seamer’s former employers Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, where they won the 2014 LV= County Championship Division One title, from tomorrow.
A calf injury sustained in the three-day victory over Worcestershire at New Road is likely to rule the former England international, a two-time title winner with Notts, out for several weeks.
Highly-rated England Under-19s paceman Matthew Fisher, who became the youngest player in county cricket history when he featured in a one-day game against Leicestershire Foxes at Scarborough in 2013, aged 15 years and 212 days, could be handed an opportunity.
If he gets the nod tomorrow, aged 17 years and 161 days, York-born Fisher will become the White Rose’s six-youngest Championship debutant, and first since record-holder Paul Jarvis in 1981.
England Lion Jack Brooks, who took nine wickets at Worcester, told ecb.co.uk:“Take Ryan out of our team and we are going to be missing his experience and skills, you saw how good he was at Trent Bridge last year. Of course we will miss him.
“Myself, Brezzy (Tim Bresnan) and Patto (Steven Patterson), the other three experienced lads, stepped up in Worcester’s second innings and we were able to do without him for 35 overs.
“That probably won’t happen at Notts, admittedly, but we need to stick in there as a unit. We wish Siddy a speedy recovery.
“But we are still quietly confident, we are in form, we got a win and we are coming off the back of a Championship win last year.”
On Fisher, Brooks said: “He is one of the most talented young cricketers in the country. He is a very mature lad. It is ridiculous if you speak to him, you forget he is only 17. The lads will be completely confident if he comes in and plays.”
Club captain Andrew Gale, back from suspension, bolsters a side that is still without Joe Root,Gary Ballance,Liam Plunkett,Adil Rashid,Jonny Bairstow and Adam Lyth due to England Test commitments in the West Indies.
Nottinghamshire, without England paceman Stuart Broad, were denied victory at Lord’s following impressive knocks from Middlesex pair Adam Voges and Nick Compton.
Director of cricket Mick Newell has added former Leicestershire batsman Greg Smith and promising left-arm seamer Luke Wood to the XI that featured at the home of cricket.
Last season’s runners-up Warwickshire will play Hampshire at Edgbaston in the first meeting between the two sides since the 2012 Clydesdale Bank 40 final at Lord’s.
The Bears, searching for a fourth consecutive home Championship victory, are unable to call on the services of England batsmen Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell plus injured seamers Chris Woakes and Oliver Hannon-Dalby, the pair struggling with foot and back problems respectively.
However, paceman Boyd Rankin has been included in a 13-man squad after coming through a second-team appearance at Beckenham.
Veteran New Zealander Andre Adams, formerly of Nottinghamshire, is set to make his Hampshire debut.
The 39-year-old missed the defeat to Sussex in their opening clash through injury, but fellow new recruit Jackson Bird is still occupying the sidelines with a back problem.
Opening batsman Michael Carberry will be aiming to continue his fine first-class record against Warwickshire, who he averages 54.80 against.
Worcestershire will be without Moeen Ali when they attempt to bounce back from their defeat to the champions versus Sussex, who are missing England all-rounder Chris Jordan and injured wicketkeeper Matt Prior, at the BrightonandHoveJobs.com County Ground.
The all-rounder has flown to the Caribbean to join up with England after emerging from the Yorkshire match unscathed following the side strain he sustained on World Cup duty.
Alexei Kervezee and Joe Leach have been added to the other 10 players that played their first match back in the top flight, meaning Shaaiq Choudhry remains unavailable with a side strain.
Director of cricket Steve Rhodes is way of the threat posed by Sussex’s new-look bowling attack, including former Pear Steve Magoffin.
Rhodes told the club’s official website: "I think he is a fine bowler. He's got bounce, control, he nips the ball back and fiddles it the other way. He's a very good bowler.
"They will have quite an aggressive attack. If they play on one of the new wickets there, the ball will really go through. We will be ready for that. We know what to expect.”
Nottinghamshire to live stream first two days of @Yorkshireccc visit via Trent Bridge Live: http://t.co/3CuMg980LBpic.twitter.com/s8kKfVahxy
— Nottinghamshire CCC (@TrentBridge) April 18, 2015
LV= County Championship facts
Nottinghamshire v Yorkshire
* There have been 99 Championship draws between these teams.
* The last time Yorkshire won their opening two games of the season was in 2010.
* Nottingham have won just one of their last 10 home games against Yorkshire in the County Championship (L4, D5).
* Jack Brooks recorded career-best first-class bowling figures in a match in week one, taking 9-84 against Worcestershire.
* Yorkshire won by an innings and 152 runs in the corresponding fixture last season, their biggest winning margin against Notts since 1901 (an innings and 226 runs).
Sussex v Worcestershire
* Sussex have won nine, drawn four and lost two of their last 15 Championship fixtures against Worcestershire.
* Worcestershire have won just one of their last 19 Division One games in the Championship, losing 11 of these games.
* None of Worcester’s last nine Championship matches have ended in a draw (W5, L4).
* Ben Brown’s 144 not out against Hampshire last week was his second highest County Championship score, after his 163 against Durham in 2014.
* Sussex have won the toss in their last five games with Worcestershire, batting first in three of these and averaging 309 runs in these three innings.
Warwickshire v Hampshire
* Warwickshire have won 50 Championship matches against Hampshire.
* Only twice this century have Hampshire lost their opening two games of a Championship season, 2000 and 2010.
* In the last two seasons Hampshire lost on the road just three times in the County Championship, twice against Essex and once against Lancashire (W6, D7).
* Sam Hain was Warwickshire’s leading run-scorer in the County Championship last season (823), the 19-year-old averaged 51.43 in his 18 innings.
* Warwickshire have won their last three Championship games at home, they have not won four consecutive matches at home since 2002.