Vaughan's knee alarms England

Michael Vaughan has given England cause for concern ahead of the first Test against South Africa at Lord's on July 10, after he was forced to sit out the final session of Yorkshire's eight-wicket defeat against Durham at Headingley because of soreness in his right knee - the same one that has required four bouts of surgery and which forced him out of the game for the whole of 2006.

According to The Yorkshire Post, Vaughan was seen flexing his knee while fielding on Monday afternoon, but the problem did not seem to hinder him during a fluent 72 in Yorkshire's second innings. He was later seen clutching an ice-pack to the joint, but according to the county's director of cricket, Martyn Moxon, there is no question that Vaughan will have to miss the Lord's Test.

"It's difficult to say too much," said Moxon. "Michael has a [pre-arranged] press conference on Friday, and he'll outline his position then, but he has one or two body issues. His knee is a bit sore, but there's no danger of him missing the Test match. He's got a few niggles and I just think he needs a bit of time to let those niggles settle."

Vaughan has been withdrawn from Yorkshire's squad for the Friends Provident semi-final against Essex on Saturday, but according to his team-mate, Darren Gough, who also underwent career-saving knee surgery in 2002, soreness was only to be expected. "His knee is stiff, but that's what happens when you've had four or five operations," he told The Guardian. "He'll be fine."