WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Henry Nicholls will depart for England with the New Zealand squad this weekend but remains a doubt for the first of three tests because of a calf injury, Black Caps coach Gary Stead said on Wednesday.
There were concerns that the 30-year-old middle-order batsman would miss the tour because of the training injury but scans revealed he had strained rather than torn the calf muscle in his right leg.
"While it's a positive that Henry hasn't torn the calf, the next two to three weeks are going to be crucial in terms of his recovery and subsequent availability for the test series," Stead said in a news release.
"Calves can be a challenge to rehab and we will need to minimise the risk of him re-injuring himself with any return to match action.
"Henry's obviously an important player for us at number five and we know he'll be doing everything he can to make himself available."
Left-hander Nicholls has been a fixture in New Zealand's middle order for the last five years, averaging 40.38 with eight centuries in 46 tests.
New Zealand named an extended 20-man squad for the three-test series last week.
Stead said Nicholls was unlikely to play much part in tour games against Sussex and a First Class Counties XI which precede the first test at Lord's from June 2-6.