Mahmood, who made his Test debut in the Caribbean in March, missed Lancashire's most-recent Championship fixture with lower back pain and subsequent scans revealed the full extent of the problem. Mahmood has a pace bowling development contract from the ECB and his rehabilitation will be jointly managed by England and Lancashire, with no timeframe set for a return.

Mahmood, 25, played in Barbados and Grenada on England's Test tour of the West Indies, claiming six wickets at 22.83 and impressing with his pace and ability with the old ball. He also top-scored with 49 in the third Test, as he and Jack Leach raised England from 114 for 9 to 204 all out.

He had only featured once for Lancashire in the Championship, taking 4 for 90 in the victory over Gloucestershire in the third round of the competition, and was left out of the squad to play Warwickshire earlier this month in order to receive treatment on a shoulder injury sustained over the winter.

With Woakes, Wood and long-term absentee Jofra Archer out of contention, England once again seem set to be reliant on Anderson and Broad, after the veteran pair were omitted from the squad for the Caribbean. The loss of Mahmood and Fisher could hasten a call-up for uncapped Durham quick Matthew Potts, the Championship's leading wicket-taker with 35 at 18.57, while Craig and Jamie Overton have been in good form for Somerset and Surrey respectively.