Buttler and Chapple set to miss Notts tie.

Glen Chapple will miss the start of the season
with a hamstring injury but JamesAnderson
will be available for the Notts fixture.

Jos Buttler and Glen Chapple are both set to miss the first day of the 2014 season for Lancashire, ahead of their match at Nottinghamshire on Sunday.

Buttler has had his Lancashire debut postponed by the ECB after a busy winter schedule with England and the Red Rose captain has a hamstring injury, presenting Paul Horton with the opportunity to captain the first match of the season.

Lancashire Coach, Peter Moores, said: "We had a chat with the ECB and Ash, and I think it seemed the right decision to give him (Buttler) a bit of a break after a long winter. If he doesn't play this game, we miss the next round, and he'll get two weeks off. That will be a nice break for him, and he gets a bit of red ball practice as well."

After a successful spell with Lancashire at the back at end of last season, Alex Davies will fill in for Buttler behind the stumps, which is likely to happen a lot this season, with Buttler playing a key role at international level.

"It's a great chance for Al. He played at the end of last season, and he's a good young keeper. We said to Alex when we signed Jos that he would get opportunities. It fits well."

Chapple, 40, is embarking on his twenty-second season as a Lancashire player, but has been suffering from a number of injuries which have prevented him from being ever-present over the past few seasons.

But Moores believes that Lancashire have the necessary back-up in the seam department to cover for his absence."Chappie is not going to play. He's got a little niggle, and he won't make it. We've got a lot of options, and a lot of seamers, who are bowling well. There's no point risking it."

The presence of James Anderson for the start of the season will therefore have added importance, particularly if Chapple's injury becomes more serious and Anderson will be aiming to impress the England selectors after a disappointing winter.

The Lancashire coach said:"He's come back from what was a tough Ashes trip. He's had a decent break from bowling, but has built it up with a bit of indoor work and then in Dubai."

After recovering from a broken rib sustained during the Ashes, Anderson is expected to be fit for Sundays encounter at Trent Bridge, providing timely cover for Chapple, but he will be used with caution during his time at Lancashire.

"They haven't put a number on it because you might get rain. I think that's sensible. We'd certainly expect to have him in those four games. If he's bowled enough by then, they may be thinking 'he's had enough'. If we've had rain, they may give him another game."

Despite these setbacks, Moores is confident that Lancashire are in good shape ahead of the new season and thinks that there will be competition for places at Old Trafford this year.

"I think it's probably the strongest squad since I've been here. It's certainly the biggest squad. It's probably the most competitive because our younger players have moved on. There's a group of Luis Reece, Luke Procter, all these lads have pushed on as well. It means there will be difficult sides to pick."