Harmison, 28, originally sustained the injury at his Riverside home ground nearly a month ago during England's fourth Test win against the West Indies.
LONDON: England face an anxious wait to find out if fast bowler Stephen Harmison is fit to play in next week's first Test against India here at Lord's.
The selectors, due to announce the squad tomorrow, had their plans potentially disrupted after Harmison aggravated his "non-serious hernia" injury while playing Friday in Durham's ongoing Championship match away to champions Sussex at Hove where he bowled just five overs.
Harmison, 28, originally sustained the injury at his Riverside home ground nearly a month ago during England's fourth Test win against the West Indies.
However, he opted against immediate surgery after being advised he could continue to play in the India series and Durham's Friends Provident Trophy final against Hampshire on August 18 - the county's first senior Lord's final.
Durham coach Geoff Cook said: "Steve has aggravated the injury and is pretty sore. England have been informed.
"He has been bowling brilliantly for Durham, as he proved in our last championship match against Surrey (when he claimed seven wickets) and these things can flare up.
"There is no reason to suggest at the moment that surgery will need to be brought forward but all we can say is that we have to see how he is."
If concerns remain over Harmison's fitness, England are likely to opt for a cautious selectionb policy, particularly as all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is still sidelined with an ankle injury.
This could lead them to name a 12-man squad with pace bowler James Anderson added to the side that completed a 3-0 Test series win against the West Indies.
Harmison, after a wayward start to the season, took 10 wickets in the final two Tests of the West Indies series.
But with England set to continue with their policy of three specialist pace bowlers in addition to left-arm spinner Monty Panesar, they will want to be sure all their quicks are fully fit for the challenge of playing against a strong India batting line-up.
England's only other concern remains the form of batsman Andrew Strauss.
The left-handed opener did score 77 in the first innings at Riverside but this was only his second fifty in his last 17 Test innings.
In the last month his only senior cricket has consisted of two successive noughts in two Twenty20 matches for Middlesex and a 17-ball one against India while captaining England Lions, the 'A' side, in their ongoing tour match at Chelmsford, east of London.
But Strauss, putting his own form to one side, said he was confident England could give new coach Peter Moores a second successive Test series victory in his first season in charge.
"In the England team, we like to think we should beat everyone at home - and India should be no exception to that," said Strauss.
"India are a very good Test match side, there's no doubt about that. They've always been very strong in their batting and that will remain the case."
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