Hussain likely to play as England weigh up options

Nasser Hussain is likely to play in Colombo. The England captain came through a net session this morning, and though he is unlikely to have fully recovered from the groin strain that has troubled him, his importance to the team is such that he is likely to play anyway.

Dean Conway, the team physiotherapist, admitted that Hussain would not be totally fit and said a final decision would not be made until the morning of the game.

"He won't be 100% for the Test so we'll leave the decision until the morning of the match to give him as much time as possible to improve," explained Conway.

Meanwhile, Duncan Fletcher has revealed that the team have one selection dilemma ahead of the series-deciding Test in Colombo, starting on Thursday.

Michael Vaughan is pressing hard for Graeme Hick's place, after a disappointing run of form from the Worcestershire man - with just 27 runs in the series to date. However, Vaughan lacks match practice, having not batted in a first-class game for nearly a month.

Fletcher stressed his reluctance to change a winning side, but revealed that all options would be considered.

"We look at every situation," he conceded. "If you had to make a decision you wouldn't normally change a winning team, but we'll sit down and analyse what the next team is all about."

Both batsmen may still take part if Hussain's injury excludes him.