Yorkshire are confident that Jack Brooks will be ready to slot straight back into the first team once his broken left thumb has fully healed.

All the indications are that the England Lions fast bowler, a winter recruit from Northamptonshire, will be on the sidelines for six weeks.

That means it will be touch and go for the LV= County Championship clash with Surrey at Headingley on June 21.

Six weeks from the date of the injury, suffered on the final day of the draw against Somerset on May 10, takes us to the second day of the match against Surrey.

The chances are that 28-year-old Brooks will be fit to play in that match because it is an injury that should not prevent him from undertaking fitness and skill work in the coming weeks.

Yorkshire coach Jason Gillespie said: “It’s a tough one. He had the operation on it and it’s just a waiting game now.

“But because it’s his left hand, once it’s stabilised he can start to get back into it.

“Once it’s fully healed he’ll be ready straight away, rather than starting his fitness work once it’s fully healed. We’re hoping it’s six weeks and he’ll be done.”

Prior to last week’s Championship win over defending champions Warwickshire, Oxford-born Brooks was Yorkshire’s leading wicket-taker with 15 from three matches. He is now just one behind Tim Bresnan, who has played four.

Brooks took a crucial 5-40 in the second innings of the win over Derbyshire, before adding 4-22 from 5.3 overs of the second innings against Somerset.

He was hit on the thumb by a straight drive from England one-day wicketkeeper Jos Buttler.

Gillespie said: “At this stage, the lads we’ve brought in – Brooks and (Liam) Plunkett – have been absolutely fantastic. We couldn’t have asked for more.”