Yorkshire will know later today if England star Matthew Hoggard is fit to play in the Roses showdown due to start at Headingley on Wednesday.

After the strike bowler had polished off Bangladesh at Riverside yesterday, capturing five wickets for 73 runs, England announced Hoggard would be available to Yorkshire for the crucial Championship match with Lancashire.

But the bad news is that Hoggard picked up ankle and thigh injuries during the Test which could keep him out of Roses action. He will have treatment with Yorkshire physiotherapist, Scott McAllister, at Headingley this morning.

If the injuries clear up then Yorkshire will make a decision on Hoggard on the morning of the match.

If Hoggard can play, it will be an enormous fillip to Yorkshire, particularly as England have told Lancashire Andrew Flintoff must miss the game.

In the two Tests against Bangladesh, Hoggard gathered up 14 wickets at 12.92 runs apiece and Yorkshire's director of cricket, David Byas, would love to be able to pit him against Lancashire.

"I was absolutely thrilled to learn that England had made Matthew available to us and it will be a big bonus if he can play," said Byas.

"Matthew is a tremendous ambassador both for Yorkshire and England and he enjoyed immensely the games he was able to play for us in the first month of the season. I applaud his attitude and also his wonderful enthusiasm for the game."

Hoggard is not included in England's one-day squad for the forthcoming NatWest Series of one-day internationals and he is now free to play for Yorkshire until he reports back for the Battle for the Ashes which starts on July 21 - unless he is chosen for the three-match NatWest Challenge against the Aussies from July 7-12.

For most of this time, however, Yorkshire are involved in Twenty-20 cricket and although Hoggard's presence is bound to boost gates, Yorkshire would much prefer to have been able to let him loose in three or four Championship matches.