Fears are growing that England batsman Graham Thorpe could miss the start of the Ashes series because of his injured calf.

Thorpe suffered the injury warming up before the first NatWest Series game against Pakistan.

It was hoped that he would return during the series but, in fact, missed the entire competition and has now been ruled out of Surrey's CricInfo Championship game against Lancashire tomorrow.

Of the 12 centrally contracted players, only Thorpe, Matthew Hoggard and skipper Nasser Hussain, who is aiming to get some games under his belt after breaking a thumb in the First Test against Pakistan last month, were given permission to play for their counties tomorrow. Hussain's side Essex entertain the Australians at Chelmsford.

Even if Thorpe manages to shake off the injury in the next few days, it would give him little time to prepare for the First Test against Australia starting next Thursday at Edgbaston.

An ECB spokesman said: "It won't necessarily rule him out of the Test match; he is just not fit to play in a game that starts tomorrow."

The England selectors announce their squad for Birmingham on Saturday and could name an extra batsman in the squad as well as Thorpe, thus giving the Surrey man extra time to prove his fitness.

© CricInfo Ltd.