Notts Director of Cricket Mick Newell hopes to be able to call on seam bowlers Charlie Shreck and Ryan Sidebottom in the opening weeks of the domestic season but expects that opening batsman Matt Wood will be forced to sit out the early exchanges.
The injured trio have travelled to Portugal for a pre-season training camp with the rest of the Notts squad but have had dispensation to sit out of the more intensive aspects of the trip.
“We’re training four times a day in warm weather and good facilities so it’s a hugely beneficial trip,” said Newell.
“Charlie has a knee problem and he still has quite a bit of work to do to get fit but it’s not unrealistic for him to aim to be involved from the start of the season.
“Ryan is possibly the nearest to a return and he is doing a lot of work with our physio Craig Smith and England will have an involvement in his recovery as well. I think that he’ll need to play a considerable amount of county cricket to prepare him for England’s summer programme.
“Matt has damaged his ankle ligaments and is quite a way off being considered fit to play.”
Wood’s absence will leave Will Jefferson, Bilal Shafayat and Alex Hales to compete with new signing Ali Brown for a place in Nottinghamshire’s opening partnership.
Brown joined Notts from Surrey in the winter and, along with fellow new signing Jason Brown, the former Northants spinner, will be keen to play regular first team cricket.
“Having the lads together on a trip like this is helpful for developing camaraderie and the new signings have fitted into the group very well,” said Newell.
Notts face Kent in a 3-day friendly at Canterbury from Wednesday 1 April and return to competitive action when Leicestershire Foxes visit Trent Bridge for a Friends Provident Trophy match on Sunday 19 April.