NOTTINGHAM, June 6: England fast bowler Simon Jones has gone to the United States in a bid to help him overcome a troublesome knee injury. The 27-year-old Jones went to America to meet with Dr Richard Steadman, who has treated leading footballers Alan Shearer, Henrik Larsson and Patrik Berger among others, in an attempt to cure a left knee injury the Welshman first sustained whole bowling in the nets in Nagpur, India, back in February.

Last week British specialist Steadman, now-based in Colorado, advised Jones to undergo arthroscopic surgery, where a camera is inserted into the affected joint to help medical staff treat the exact point of the injury.

Jones is now set to have a fresh consultation with Steadman before deciding whether to commit himself to an operation.

His injury problems come at a worrying time for England pace bowlers with current captain Andrew Flintoff also struggling.

He suffered a recurrence of a problem with his left ankle, which inhibited his display during Sri Lanka's 1-1 series-levelling 134-run third Test win at Trent Bridge on Monday.

Meanwhile Flintoff's Lancashire team-mate James Anderson has a stress fracture of the back while Stephen Harmison has only recently returned to county action after a shin injury.

Jones broke down in Glamorgan's Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy one-day match with Ireland on May 1 and was advised to rest for six weeks after a scan revealed he had sustained a new injury to his knee, in the form of cartilage damage.

The son of former England left-arm quick Jeff, Jones has struggled with injuries throughout his career having been sidelined for several months after sustaining cruciate knee ligament damage while fielding in Brisbane during the first Test of the 2002-03 Ashes series.—AFP