Cobb returns but Leicestershire CCC suffer bowler injury blow

Leicestershire have suffered a major injury blow ahead of their return to County Championship action against Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl tomorrow.

County will be without seam bowler Nathan Buck, who tops the club's wicket-taking chart with 42 to his name.

Buck has looked back to the form which earned him an England Lions call earlier in his career and appeared to be on course to take 50 wickets in the season for the first time.

However, the 23-year-old has been ruled out of the trip to the south coast with a foot injury.

Alex Wyatt comes into the squad as a potential replacement, although slow left-armer James Sykes could figure alongside off-spinner Jigar Naik if County feel the pitch will offer more to the spinners than the seam bowlers.

On the plus side, Leicestershire will have Josh Cobb back in their first-class side after recovering from the broken thumb he sustained in the Royal London Cup at the end of last month.

Cobb will slot back into the middle order and is likely to take on the captaincy again.