LONDON: England pace spearhead James Anderson faces a battle to be fit for the opening test against South Africa in July after scans confirmed he had suffered a tear to his right groin when playing for Lancashire in the county championship.

Anderson, England's leading test wicket-taker, limped off midway through his sixth over on Friday against Yorkshire at Old Trafford and did not bowl again in the match.

The 34-year-old will miss Lancashire's return fixture against Yorkshire starting June 2 as he will be assessed by England's medical team to understand the extend of the injury.

Anderson, who missed four of England's last 10 tests with a shoulder injury, could still feature in three county matches in June to prove his fitness ahead of the international season.

England host South Africa in first of four tests starting on July 6 at Lord's before welcoming West Indies in a three-match series to wrap up the test summer in August and September.