Sussex’s hopes of building on a strong start to the season are under threat by a growing injury crisis.

Tymal Mills became the latest casualty at Hove when he pulled up with a back problem on the second day of the Championship clash with Worcestershire.

The left-arm paceman is unlikely to bowl in the second innings of the match while fellow new signing Ajmal Shahzad was restricted to just ten overs yesterday due to illness.

Sussex are already missing James Anyon, Lewis Hatchett, Chris Nash, Matt Prior and Fynn Hudson-Prentice through injury while Mike Yardy is sick and Chris Jordan on international duty.

Only Shahzad and Nash are likely to be available for the trip to Durham next week meaning Sussex may have to bring in a seamer on a short-term basis.

Sussex won their opening Championship match at Hampshire last week but their hopes of making it two wins out of two were hampered yesterday as they put down four catches to allow Worcestershire to build a first innings lead of 44.

Coach Mark Robinson said: “We have got seven players missing and that is a lot, especially when five of them would have definitely started this game.

“We are used to it to a degree after the problems we had last season but it does make it difficult when you try to plan ahead for the Durham game.

“We have got enough batters but the seam department is obviously a concern. We’ll have to see where we are at the end of this game but at the moment we have got a game to try to win.”