Anderson ruled out of first Test

James Anderson: out with an ankle injury Getty Images

James Anderson will miss England's first Test against Sri Lanka - as well as the next two one-day internationals - after he twisted his ankle playing squash. Anderson went over on his ankle playing squash at the team's hotel after torrential rain washed out a scheduled practice on Wednesday evening.

Although X-rays showed no break, an MRI scan showed soft-tissue damage to the area and Anderson, who is on crutches, is now expected to be out of action for the next fortnight. "James has had scans and x-rays which have revealed some ligament trauma," Dean Conway, England's one-day physio, explained. "We need a couple more days to assess it, but I'm quite optimistic that he will be back from 10 days to three weeks. Realistically the second Test in Kandy is his likeliest deadline."

Yorkshire's Matthew Hoggard, who joins the rest of the Test squad tonight, will provide fast-bowling cover for James Kirtley and Richard Johnson in Sunday's third ODI, also in Colombo.