DOUG Bollinger is poised to make his long-awaited return to action in Worcestershire's LV County Championship Division One fixture with defending champions Sussex tomorrow (11am).

The Aussie overseas player, who has not featured for the County since the Friends Provident Trophy clash with Leicestershire on April 29, has been ruled out by a side strain, but director of cricket Steve Rhodes is optimistic the left-armer will play.

However, the good news of Bollinger's expected return has been tempered by Roger Sillence picking up an injury that looks likely to see him join Matt Mason on the injury list.

Rhodes said: "Doug had a fitness test today and I am very optimistic he'll play tomorrow - it all depends on how he reacts to it overnight.

"It will be a massive boost to have Doug back in the team, it just depends how sore he is. We want to have our good players playing as often as possible and Doug is certainly one of those.

"But we have a fitness doubt with Roger - he has picked up a little niggle this week - and we'll have a look at him in the morning, but I don't think he'll be fit to play.

"However, Dewald Nel and Nadeem Malik will play alongside Kabir Ali and hopefully Doug. It is great to be able to name that kind of attack, but it is disappointing not to have Roger."

Despite having to carry the attack in the absence of Bollinger and Mason for most of this season, Kabir Ali has been one of the top performers so far in Worcestershire's slow start to 2007.

The England paceman has claimed 16 wickets already, which puts him joint fifth on the leading wicket-takers list, level with Sussex's Mushtaq Ahmed.

The visitors will also be without two key players tomorrow as regular wicketkeeper Matthew Prior is on international duty and fellow England player, all-rounder, Michael Yardy is sidelined with a broken finger.

Andrew Hodd will deputise for Prior, who made a century on his Test match debut against the West Indies last week, behind the stumps.

The reigning champions have not made a great start to their title defence, winning one, losing two and drawing one of their opening four games, but Rhodes is taking nothing for granted.

He added: "We got the better of Lancashire, who finished second last year, last week but were hampered by the weather.

"They're all tough games in this division, though, and that is what we are expecting from this match with Sussex."

Worcestershire: Jaques, Moore, Solanki (capt), Smith, Hick, Kabir Ali, Davies (wkt), Batty, Sillence, Malik, Nel, Price.

Sussex: Adams (capt), Mushtaq Ahmed, Goodwin, Hodd (wkt), Hopkinson, Kirtley, Lewry, Liddle, Martin-Jenkins, Montgomerie, Nash, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Rayner, Wright.