Essex have signed two new bowlers ahead of the LV= County Championship game with Leicestershire which begins on Sunday.
Oliver Newby has arrived on a month's loan from Lancashire, while the club have also snapped up Tanveer Sikandar on a dual registration deal with minor county Hertfordshire.
Essex's bowling has been severly depleted with Graham Napier and David Masters both suffering injuries at Gloucestershire.
And to make matters even worse, all-rounder Ravi Bopara - along with opener Alastair Cook - is unavailable after being called into the England squad for Friday's ODI with Scotland.
That means Tom Westley will open with Jaik Mickleburgh, and Mark Pettini and Kishen Velani are also in the squad for the first time this season.
Bowler Matt Salisbury is also in the 12-man squad to face Leicestershire after returning from injury.
Head coach Paul Grayson said: "It's been a challenging few days trying to get 12 fit players but we do know that we have got some very good players in the squad.
"Our bowling armoury has been very depleted with Tymal Mills being the only fit fast bowler in the professional playing staff, and so we've brought in Oliver Newby on loan for a month and we thank Lancashire for their assistance in that.
"He needs to play some cricket, he's not in their first team at the moment and so it's a good opportunity for him to show people what he can do and we look forward to working with him.
"Tanweer's has been training with the club all winter and pre-season and has impressed everyone.
"He's an all-rounder who bowls lively medium-pace and we thank Hertfordshire for letting us put a dual registration together.
"He deserves an opportunity and I'm really looking forward to seeing how these lads perform.
"Mark and Kishen might have considered themselves unlucky not to have been in the side earlier but now they have their chance and said before the season that if we were going to achieve things, it was by having a squad of 17 or 18 players.
"Certainly we are using all those people at the moment for one reason or another but I'm more than happy that the 11 that take to the field on Sunday will put in a very good performance."
