Vaughan's injury adds to England one-day worries

England's winter plans were further disrupted yesterday when Michael Vaughan became the latest player to inform the selectors he has injury concerns that are likely to rule him out of the ICC Champions' Trophy in Sri Lanka later this month.

While the injury to his right knee will not keep the Yorkshire batsman out of tomorrow's crucial Test against India there is a feeling that the 27-year-old will require surgery after the game. This would stop him travelling with an England side already without Darren Gough, Andrew Flintoff and Craig White and would come as another blow to Nasser Hussain as he tries to prepare his one-day squad for the World Cup in South Africa in February.

Vaughan, who has been in wonderful form this summer with three Test hundreds, said: "It is a wear and tear injury that needs cleaning out. I will be speaking to the England management today to see what the right course of action is. I am, however, fit to play in this Test match."

Another player that has just returned from knee surgery and is hoping to prove his fitness before tomorrow is Ronnie Irani. In an effort to do this the Essex all-rounder flew to Munich and back on Monday to see the German knee specialist Hans Müller-Wolfhart.

Müller-Wolfhart is no stranger to injured sportsmen – he has previously treated Michael Owen, Boris Becker and Jürgen Klinsmann – but the method used on Irani may surprise some. Irani had Hylart, a by-product of the fluid found in the red fleshy crown on the top of a cockerel's head, injected into his right knee.

The method has been used on other cricketers, including Irani's Essex team-mate Ashley Cowan, with the theory being that the fluid helps lubricate the joint making movement more comfortable. "It is a natural substance which for some reason in this country we do not use," Irani said. "They last for about two or three months and it's magic."

Irani's last Test, three years ago, was also at The Oval and he will not wish a repeat of the scenes that followed the home side's defeat to New Zealand when England and their new captain Hussain were booed at the end of the match.

* The row over conflicting sponsorship rights which had threatened the Champions' Trophy eased yesterday, when South Africa's players agreed to sign their ICC contracts, although India's players said they were still contemplating legal action against the ICC.