England opener Emilio Gay is expected to be fit for the first Test against Pakistan, beginning August 19 at Headingley, following a shoulder injury scare sustained on Friday. Gay had retired hurt clutching his right shoulder during a One Day Cup match for Durham against Middlesex at Chester-le-Street.
A scan on Saturday revealed no serious damage, according to Daily Mail Sport, allowing Gay to continue his opening partnership with Ben Duckett. Gay, who made his Test debut in June against New Zealand, scored two half-centuries in that three-match series after replacing Zak Crawley at the top of the order.
Had Gay been unavailable, England would have considered openers from outside the 16-man squad, with Durham's Ben McKinney and Glamorgan's Asa Tribe mentioned as potential replacements. The top order has already seen disruption due to Jacob Bethell's knee injury, which will rule him out of the Pakistan series. Jordan Cox is set to bat at number three in Bethell's absence.
As a precautionary measure, Gay will miss Durham's one-day match against Essex on Sunday. The England Test team is set to begin a new era with the upcoming series against Pakistan.