Vaughan recovery under pressure

England captain Michael Vaughan may resort to treatment in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber in an attempt to hasten his recovery from a broken finger.

Vaughan, 32, sustained an undisplaced fracture of his right middle finger after being struck on the hand by Hampshire's Australia paceman Stuart Clark while batting for Yorkshire in their LV County Championship match at the Rose Bowl on Thursday.

"It is just one of the options being considered, but it may or may not be beneficial in Michael's case," said Yorkshire's physiotherapist Scott McAllister. "We're icing the finger to keep swelling to a minimum and concentrating on making sure it is immobile at all times."

It is thought the injury could keep Vaughan out for three to four weeks - meaning he is likely to miss the first two Tests against West Indies at Lord's, starting on May 17, and on his home ground of Headingley, beginning May 25.

However, it appears he is prepared to follow the route taken by the likes of England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, who used a pressurised oxygen chamber to aid his recovery from a broken metatarsal bone in his foot prior to last summer's World Cup.

McAllister added in the Yorkshire Post: "That combination of regular icing and immobility could well be the best route to follow but we're keeping an open mind right now."

Should Vaughan fail to recover in time Vaughan's likely successor is Middlesex opener Andrew Strauss, who led the side to a Test series victory over Pakistan last summer.