More injury problems as batting duo are ruled out

David Sales and Rob Keogh are on the injured list at the County Ground

Keogh broke a finger on his left hand dropping a catch in the slips during Northamptonshire’s LV= County Championship clash with Middlesex at Lord’s.

And Sales damaged ankle ligaments slipping in the field during the Natwest t20 Blast encounter with Durham Jets last Friday.

It is the latest bad news in a season where the injury list has been comprehensive and head coach David Ripley has been left to curse his misfortune again.

He said: “Rob had a catch burst through his hands and he dislocated a finger which has shown to be broken.

“At this stagte it doesn’t look like an operation will be needed but it’ll probably be at least four weeks before we can consider him again.

“David’s injury, having been scanned, is a grade three tear of his ankle ligaments so that’s a good length of time on the sidelines.

“We really can’t be sure when he will be fit again but it will be a while.”

No timescale has been put on either’s possible return to first team action but it is expected that both will be sidelined for at least a month which would mean missing the start of the Royal London Cup at the end of July.