England all-rounder Ben Stokes is planning a return to action for Durham in early May after a scan of his knee showed no new problems.
The 30-year-old has not been training after suffering pain in his left knee during England’s tour of the West Indies in March.
Stokes still has some tenderness in his knee but he and England will continue to manage the problem alongside Durham.
He is set to appear in the County Championship next month.
Stokes bowled 99 overs and scored 194 runs across three Tests against West Indies as England lost the series 1-0.
He was also still recovering from a side strain that he picked up during the Ashes against Australia.
England’s first Test of the summer against New Zealand starts on 2 June, while Durham began their County Championship campaign against Glamorgan on Thursday.
