Butcher a doubtful starter for Manchester Test

The England batsman Mark Butcher says that his knee injury makes him no more than "50-50" for the third and final npower Test against Sri Lanka, which starts at Old Trafford in a week's time.

Butcher, 29, underwent a scan on the injury yesterday, but no acute cartilage damage has been found. The specialist has said he can play at Old Trafford if he feels fit enough.

"I am going up to Old Trafford with a view to playing," the Surrey left hander said. "But I would say I am no more than 50-50 at the moment. It would be a shame to miss out but these things happen and you can't do anything about them.

"The damage is in the joint between the two bones and it needs to be cleared up. So if I played in the next Test I would have it done in the break between this series and the Test series that follows with India."

Butcher made a century in the first Test at Lord's and 94 in the second at Edgbaston, but is unlikely to be included in England's squad for the one-day triangular tournament which follows the Test series.

The expected recovery time from this type of surgery is between three and four weeks, which should enable Butcher to be fit for the first Test against India at Lord's, which begins on July 25, regardless of when he has the operation.