Anderson and Harmison ruled out

With Simon Jones struggling to recover from a major knee operation, Andrew Caddick hit by back trouble and Anderson and Andrew Flintoff having already missed matches this winter through injury, it's a long time since all England's fast bowlers were fit at the same time

Harmison - whose place in the Test squad to face Sri Lanka has gone to Richard Johnson - was due to fly out from London tomorrow. Instead, the 25-year-old Durham paceman faces more treatment after failing a fitness test at Loughborough in front of chairman of selectors David Graveney and England's medical staff. Harmison earned a berth on the linked tours of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka by helping to bowl Michael Vaughan's side to victory against South Africa in the final Test of last summer at The Oval.

He followed a fiery, four-wicket performance in the second innings of that game by terrorising Bangladesh's batsmen with his raw pace in Dhaka last month.

Nine wickets in the Test earned Harmison his first man-ofthematch award for England and, at last, it seemed as though he was heading in the right direction after too many inconsistent performances.

The optimism was short-lived, though. Even before the end of that Dhaka match, Harmison complained of back pain and he returned home before the Second Test in Chittagong.

As almost always seems to be the case with England injuries, Harmison's now appears worse than originally suggested

Earlier this month, Dr Peter Gregory - the England Cricket Board's chief medical officer - said that "scans suggest there is no serious cause for the pain" and he went on to add: "I am very optimistic-that Steve will rejoin the England Test squad in Sri Lanka."

On Monday, though, Harmison failed to prove he was ready to return. Although England's four-Test tour of the Caribbean does not start until late February, the selectors are due to name their squad next month. At best, Harmison will be included on a provisional basis.

As for the Tests in Sri Lanka, Anderson and Matthew Hoggard are now likely to lead Michael Vaughan's seam attack with Johnson in reserve.

The Somerset player deserves a break, too, having been another victim of the injury jinx.

Johnson took six for 33 on debut against Zimbabwe last summer, only to be sidelined by knee and calf injuries.

When Harmison went home last month, though, Johnson not only stepped back into the team but also helped himself to nine wickets and a man-of-the-match award.

"This is good news from my point of view because it gives me another opportunity to push my Test career," said the 28-year-old former Middlesex bowler. "But it's bad luck for Steve.

"All I can do is try to take my chance if it comes along."