Gough injury setback may signal end of Test career

England forced to call up Tudor as Ashes hopes suffer major blow after Yorkshire bowler breaks down following nets session

Darren Gough's dreams of being involved in England's quest to win back the Ashes all but disappeared yesterday when the fast bowler's rehabilitation from a long-term knee injury suffered a further setback.

Gough, who was picked for this tour while injured and with the selectors fully aware of the risk they were taking, appeared to be making good progress as he increased his workload in Perth and there had even been talk of him being fit for the second Test in Adelaide, though not the first, which begins here on Thursday.

These hopes will seem only a distant memory after the 32-year-old complained of swelling and discomfort to his knee following a bowl in the nets in Brisbane on Saturday. Yesterday England drew with Queensland here, replying to the hosts' 582 with 322 for 7, in which Michael Vaughan, at least, proved his fitness with a sparkling 127.

In a last-ditch attempt to get to the bottom of Gough's ongoing problems, England have sent the Yorkshireman to the National Academy in Adelaide so that he can see a knee specialist and have intensive treatment on the troublesome joint. Alex Tudor, already at the Academy, has been summoned to the full squad as cover.

This is the fourth time Gough has broken down since he damaged his right knee on England's tour of New Zealand in February and after three operations there now must be serious concerns about him playing any part in this series. No longer is he just battling for a place in the Test side, he is now fighting to save his international career.

Decision day for Gough will come at the conclusion of the first Test when England travel to Hobart to play Australia A. If England's premier bowler plays in this match, their last three-day game of the tour, he has a chance of making the second Test. If he does not he has no opportunity to prove his fitness and can only be considered for the one-day series in December.

"At this stage, we cannot put a time frame on Darren's recovery and we will have to wait for further guidancefrom the specialist as to the extent of his involvement in the rest of the winter programme," the England coach, Duncan Fletcher, said. "Darren had been making good progressin his recovery from injury and it is very frustrating for him and the team that he should suffer a setback at this stage.

"He has done everything we could have asked in terms of conditioning and strengthening work and we were hoping he could play grade cricket this weekend. But our priority now is to ensure that he gets intensive one-to-one treatment for his injury and expert medical advice."

Gough is not the first England player to follow the Academy route. Andrew Flintoff only rejoined the squad from Adelaide on Thursday after his recovery from a double hernia operation took longer than expected. Making his way in the opposite direction is the Surrey pace man, Tudor.

Considered unlucky by many to have been left out of the Ashes squad in the first place, Tudor was sent to the Academy for a second term to become fit and to toughen up. He now travels to Brisbane with a good chance of staying with the squad for the rest of the winter because Gough is not the only England bowler with an injury. Stephen Harmison, the Durham pace man, has been diagnosed with shin splints which are expected to keep him out of action for a couple of weeks.

The news for Gough, however, will be harder to take and his inability to play will further test the patience of the England management because Australia is not a tour for carrying injured players.

Standing in the hotel lobby waiting for a taxi to take him to the airport, Gough attempted to put on a brave face but could not hide his concern over the position he finds himself in.

"It is very disappointing as I felt I was nearly there with my recovery and ready to start playing again," he said. "Now I want to work hard at the Academy and give myself the best possible chance for the remainder of the winter. This is a setback but I'd rather be in Adelaide getting myself fit than sitting on the sidelines here in Brisbane."

With the first Test looming large, Australia have fitness worries of their own over Adam Gilchrist and Jason Gillespie. Gilchrist, Australia's vice captain, has been having treatment on an elbow infection picked up over the weekend.

Gillespie has to prove he can bowl for more than one day consecutively after returning home early from Australia's recent tour of Pakistan with a torn calf. No replacements have yet been called up to the squad.