New signing Patel could make Northants debut as Sanderson and Gay miss out on Bristol trip

Patel, who signed a two-year rookie contract at Wantage Road on Wednesday afternoon, has travelled with his new team-mates to Bristol.

And with Durham-bound Emilio Gay having been left out of the travelling party, there is a strong possibility the 18-year-old may get an early chance to show what he is capable of.

If he does, it will mark his first-class debut, having previously only played one List A match for former club Surrey.

Last week's defeat at Middlesex left Northants rock-bottom of the Championship and still without a win this season, putting the nail in the coffin of their already slim hopes of making a late challenge for promotion.

Senior seam bowler Ben Sanderson has been rested ahead of next week's Vitality Blast quarter-final date with Somerset at the County Ground, while Raphy Weatherall misses out due to a back strain.

Jack White is named in the squad and will lead the attack providing he has recovered from the neck injury that kept him out of last week's encounter, while there is also a recall for James Sales.

Pace bowler Dom Leech, who will join the club on a permanent basis at the end of the season, will play the second match of his short-term loan deal from Yorkshire if selected.

Gloucestershire go into the game in fifth place and still in with a shout of a top two finish and promotion, and they are boosted by the return of long-term injury absentees Zafar Gohar and Tom Price.

They are captained by Graeme van Buuren, and include the likes of Australian batter Cameron Bancroft and dangerous pace bowler Marchant de Lange in their ranks.

When the two sides met at the County Ground back in May, Gloucestershire secured an emphatic 256-run victory - which is their only red ball win of the season to date.

Northants squad v Gloucestershire: Vasconcelos, Shaw, Procter (c), Bartlett, Keogh, Miller, Sales, Patel, McManus (wk), Broad, Leech, White, Chahal

Gloucestershire squad: Van Buuren (c), Bancroft, Dent, Akhter, Bracey, Singh Dale, Price, Charlesworth, Price, Gohar, Goodman, Hammond, De Lange