England pacer Stuart Broad suffers heel issue ahead of South Africa series

London: England paceman Stuart Broad suffered an injury scare ahead of the four-test series against South Africa when he left the field with a heel problem after bowling just one over for his county Nottinghamshire against Leicestershire on Wednesday.

The Telegraph reported the 30-year-old had a scan which did not detect any major problem but he is expected to miss next week's county championship match ahead of the first test against South Africa at Lord's from July 6.

"Stuart had a bit of pain in his heel, he's had it for a while," Nottinghamshire coach Peter Moores said after his team's massive win by an innings and 280 runs.

"If the situation had been different, he could have pushed on through it but there was no need to, so he came off and we'll monitor it and look after him."

Paceman Chris Woakes is unlikely to be fit for the opening test against the Proteas after pulling out of the Champions Trophy with a side strain, while all-rounder Ben Stokes played the 50-over tournament with a lingering knee issue.

James Anderson, England's most successful bowler, has just returned to competitive cricket after suffering a tear to his right groin while bowling for Lancashire last month.