Wednesday 5 April 2017 12:35, UK
Alastair Cook will miss Essex's County Championship opener against Lancashire with a hip problem.
Sky sources understand the injury sustained by Cook is not serious and is not expected to keep the 32-year-old on the sidelines for a significant period of time.
The former England Test captain is expected to have an injection in the next few days to alleviate the pain caused by the problem.
Cook will miss the chance to take on England team-mate Jimmy Anderson at Chelmsford on Friday and more than likely have to wait until at least his county's second fixture against Somerset at Taunton on April 14 to make an appearance.
"I got a niggle and I'm going to have a couple of jabs to try and get it right. It's been a frustrating last couple of weeks and it has not gone away. So, unfortunately I will not be facing Jimmy," Cook told Sky Sports News HQ.
"It's just really disappointing for everyone involved. I wanted to play and I wanted to help Essex get off to a good start in a new division.
"But you have also got to look at a long-term picture. If anything did happen now, with a Test match quite a while away, it is a sensible decision to get it right."
Cook played seven games for Essex last season and scored three hundreds in a total of 673 runs.
Essex are currently preparing for their first match back in Division One following an absence of seven years having suffered relegation back in 2010.
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