England’s chronic misfortune with injuries has resurfaced again just days from the start of their Test series with India. Steve Harmison, the last bowler of menacing pace available to selectors already denied the services of Andrew Flintoff, is in danger of being ruled out of all three Tests after exacerbating a hernia problem during Durham’s match at Horsham.

A statement from the ECB yesterday said that Harmison would be reassessed by the board’s medical staff early this week and was rated “extremely doubtful” for the first Test. But earlier in the day Geoff Cook, Durham’s director of cricket, had suggested that Harmison might have to have a hernia operation now, which would certainly put him out of the whole series.

It was announced last month, during the final Test against West Indies, that Harmison would have to undergo surgery for a hernia but it was hoped that the operation — which would necessitate several weeks of rehabilitation — could be delayed until after the India series finishes on August 13. That is now looking much less likely. Harmison left the field after bowling five overs in two spells on Friday and will not bowl again in the four-day match against Sussex.

An attack shorn of Harmison and Flintoff, who is targeting a return to the national side in the one-day series that follows the Tests, would leave England desperately reliant on the ball swinging at Lord’s or a remarkable performance from their slow left-armer Monty Panesar against some of the finest players of spin bowling in the world.

The similarity in styles of Matthew Hoggard, Ryan Sidebottom and James Anderson, the likeliest stand-in for Harmison on form and experience, may prevent England opting to field all three in their final XI, which could open the door to the highly rated Stuart Broad, 21, making his first Test appearance after nine ODI matches. Broad is tall and can make the ball bounce in the fashion of Harmison, if not at the same pace.

Anderson, whose last Test appearances came during the winter’s Ashes debacle when he took five expensive wickets in three games, is capable of swinging the ball late and the ball does often move around generously at Lord’s if there is cloud cover, but if the skies were to be clear Anderson, Hoggard and the left-armer Sidebottom might all be rendered largely impotent. Eggs-wise, it might simply be too many in one basket.

Apart from Broad and Anderson, who will both probably be named in a 13-man squad today, the other fast bowlers in contention are Liam Plunkett and the uncapped Graham Onions. But Plunkett’s form is shaky and Onions has yet to play for England in any form of the game. Broad bowled well at Lord’s in the recent one-dayer against West Indies, taking three for 20. In the circumstances, England may now do very well to win the series and may be content to maintain their unbeaten run at home, which currently spans 11 Test series and six years. The Second Test at Trent Bridge follows four days after the Lord’s match is due to finish, which will put further strain on England’s four-man attack, although India are likely to be in the same position, as they are also expected to pick a four-man attack that includes some inexperienced seamers.

England’s problems do not end with the bowlers, though. Andrew Strauss yesterday joined Kevin Pietersen in admitting that he was feeling jaded after playing non-stop for many months. Pietersen has taken a short break this weekend but Strauss, who hasn’t made a hundred for England since last August, says he needs more than a few days away from the game.

Strauss, who has a young family, may be in the greater trouble. “I think a lot of the guys are jaded,” he said. “I think the ECB need to look at having a period when you can have a month or two off. A week or two is not going to do a lot of good.”

Michael Vaughan, the England captain, admitted yesterday that the situation was a concern. Of Pietersen’s situation, he said: “It’s a worry if he really feels that fatigued because he’s our best batsman and we want him playing as well as he can. I’ll sit with Kevin on Tuesday to make sure he has refreshed himself, because what we need next Thursday is Kev firing on all fronts and really focused. The schedule looks pretty daunting and we’re going to have to make sure that if there’s a chance of resting players for the odd tour or game, we do that.”

Lord’s will be the first match for Vaughan since the England captaincy was split up between himself and Paul Collingwood, but he is sure everything will be all right. “Me and Colly are good mates,” he said. “I’ll be picking his brain for anything he’s picked up in the last few weeks.”

Probable England team: Strauss, Cook, Vaughan (capt), Pietersen, Collingwood, Bell, Prior, Broad, Hoggard, Sidebottom, Panesar, Anderson, Harmison