Batsman Dhananjaya de Silva and fast bowler Kasun Rajitha were both ruled out against England after suffering injuries in South Africa.
England blanked the hosts 3-0 in the test series on their last trip to Sri Lanka in 2018 but have key personnel missing from that touring party currently.
Mathews became Sri Lanka's youngest test captain at the age of 25 in 2013. He quit as limited-overs captain in 2018 after the team's early exit from the Asia Cup.