Michael Vaughan could play his first competitive match of 2006 when Yorkshire face Scotland in the Cheltenham and Gloucester one-day competition at Headingley on Sunday.
The England captain has managed just one appearance - in a non first-class tour match for England in India three months ago - since undergoing surgery on his right knee before Christmas.
But his chances of appearing against Scotland could depend on the outcome of Yorkshire's C and G match against arch-rivals Lancashire on Saturday.
Should Yorkshire lose and therefore have little chance of overtaking Lancashire and others at the top of the North Conference to qualify for the Lord's final, it is thought that may increase Vaughan's chances of playing against Scotland.
The England captain suffered his latest knee injury in a tour match against Pakistan A in Lahore in November. He subsequently missed the first Test in a three-match series in Pakistan and flew home for surgery before the limited-overs leg of that tour.
In his absence, England were captained by Marcus Trescothick in Pakistan and by star all-rounder Andrew Flintoff in India and for the ongoing Test series at home to Sri Lanka. Vaughan, in an interview with Britain's Independent on Sunday newspaper, admitted he feared that a prolonged absence from the England team might mean he wouldn't captain the side again.
"That's the one thing that scares me most, that I won't get the opportunity to do that again," said the 31-year-old batsman, who last year led England to theit first Ashes series victory against Australia since 1986/87.