WORCESTERSHIRE are expecting Gareth Batty to be absent from New Road for the full duration of the NatWest Series.

The County are preparing for life without their top-rank spinner for almost four weeks following his addition to England's one-day squad.

Batty slipped out of Worcestershire's Championship fixture at Somerset last night and is now almost certain to feature regularly for England, firstly in Saturday's NatWest Twenty20 international against Australia, then in the following tri-nation series.

The 27-year-old was called up after the ECB medical team decided that Ashley Giles had not fully recovered from a hip injury, which ruled him out of the first two npower Tests with Bangladesh.

Worcestershire anticipate losing captain Vikram Solanki and paceman Kabir Ali for the summer's full international one-day programme, which also takes in the three-match NatWest Challenge between England and Australia from July 7-12.

But County chief executive Mark Newton believes Batty will resume New Road duties after the NatWest Series, which ends with the July 2 final at Lord's and expected to be contested by favourites England and Australia.

"I think Gareth will be with the England squad right the way through to the end of the NatWest Series," admits Newton.

Director of cricket Tom Moody insists Worcestershire will miss the Yorkshireman's gifts, but believes there is plenty of depth within the squad to accommodate the loss.

Moody said: "We are fortunate to have a quality second spinner in Ray Price and a third quality spinner in Shaftab Khalid. We are not short of good spinners.

"But there's no question that we will miss Gareth for the period he is not at the club."