England v Sri Lanka: Who should join James Anderson and Stuart Broad?

Mark Wood's ongoing ankle issues have left a host of county seamers hoping for a call-up to the England Test squad to face Sri Lanka.

Steve Finn would be the most logical choice to slot into the XI, with only injury preventing him playing a larger role in his country's winter programme, but who else could England be looking at?

Here are five players perhaps in contention for a pace place, either in the team or as 12th man…

Steve Finn (Middlesex)

The Middlesex man is the obvious front runner, having impressed on recall during last summer's Ashes triumph (12 wickets at 22.50) and again in South Africa (11 wickets at 26.09) as England secured a notable away win. Finn's injury record of late has not been stellar, the pacer missing his country's autumn tour of the UAE (foot) and the recent ICC World T20 (calf), but 113 wickets in 29 Tests at an average of 28.34, coupled with some encouraging early-season form for his county, means it would be a huge surprise if the 27-year-old was overlooked for Headingley.

Liam Plunkett (Yorkshire)

Plunkett's main role for England in recent times has been chief drinks carrier but he forced his way into their XI at the World T20 and must be a contender for the first Test at a ground he now calls home, having moved from Durham in 2013. Plunkett's greatest success in the Test arena has come against Sri Lanka, too, the seamer claiming 22 of his 41 wickets against the subcontinental outfit, including nine at Headingley two years ago. Plunkett's batting could also give him the nod - he has three first-class tons to his name, including one this season from just 82 balls.

Keith Barker (Warwickshire)

Warwickshire's left-armer would be a left-field selection but he has been a steady campaigner for a while, averaging just shy of 50 Championship wickets over the last four years. Barker, godson to Sir Clive Lloyd and eligible to play for West Indies due to Caribbean parentage, has begun 2016 in fine fettle, snaffling five Hampshire wickets before lunch on the opening morning and grabbing 19 from his four matches to date. The seamer would also be pretty tasty in England's pre-game kick-about, having once been on Blackburn's books and played for Rochdale in League Two.

Jake Ball (Nottinghamshire)

Stuart Broad has been getting valuable overs under his belt for Nottinghamshire in recent weeks but the England star has played second fiddle in terms of wickets to team-mate Ball, the latter collecting 19 thus far. A winter spent bowling for England Lions seems to have helped the 25-year-old, with Nottinghamshire skipper Chris Read noting how his charge now looks 'lively' and 'fitter'. Ball snared a five-for against Surrey in April - Kumar Sangakkara among his victims - and a four-wicket haul versus Lancashire, while he also impressed live on Sky Sports against Yorkshire, nipping out Joe Root and Adam Lyth for first-ball ducks.

Tom Curran (Surrey)

Former West Indies bowler Ravi Rampaul has been Surrey's primary source of wickets this term but team-mate Curran has been a quality accomplice off the back of an eye-catching 2015 season in which he took 76 Championship scalps at 23.07, albeit in Division Two. The South Africa-born seamer, son of late Zimbabwe and Northamptonshire all-rounder Kevin Curran, has a best of 4-58 against Nottinghamshire in Surrey's opener but was made to toil by a rampant Root and Jonny Bairstow when the London-based side ran into Yorkshire this week at Headingley.