England were today deciding whether to call up a replacement for Darren Gough for the NatWest Series.

Gough had hoped to appear at some stage during the triangular one-day tournament with Sri Lanka and India but the Yorkshire paceman suffered a setback in his recovery from knee surgery this week.

England are reluctant to rush back their senior fast bowler, who has had two operations since the one-day series in New Zealand and they may need to shore up their attack from elsewhere.

Gough missed all three Tests against Sri Lanka and will see a specialist today after pulling out of a Yorkshire second XI fixture on Monday.

The results of that visit will determine whether England send for another quickie, which would probably be fellow Yorkshire paceman Chris Silverwood or Somerset's Richard Johnson.

Captain Nasser Hussain said: "Darren will be concerned and we would like him back playing for us. But the most important thing is getting him back playing fully fit."

It leaves England's selectors with just three frontline seamers, Sussex's James Kirtley, Alex Tudor and Matthew Hoggard, who have only 15 one-day international appearances between them and desperately lacking the crucial experience provided by Gough and Andrew Caddick.