by Alex Hoad

Kent's injury problems reached new heights this week but team director Paul Farbrace remained bullish.

Skipper Rob Key is set to miss up to a month after breaking a finger in the dismal defeat at Hampshire in the LV= County Championship Division 1 on Wednesday.

The game saw pacemen Robbie Joseph and Amjad Khan paired together in attack for the first time this season but Khan was forced out of the action with a hamstring injury which will again sideline him.

Farbrace admitted the injury situation was "far from ideal" but said the club would continue to fill the void by promoting more youngsters to the fray in the Friends Provident t20 games against Essex at The Brit Oval on Friday and against Glamorgan at Canterbury on Sunday.

Meanwhile, X-rays revealed that Key had suffered a clean break across the little finger of his right hand after fending off a delivery from Hampshire’s Dominic Cork.

Farbrace said: "It was tough to take but he knows that an opener getting hit on the hand comes with the territory.

"He faced another half a dozen balls before he came in. He is a tough guy and always stays out on the field so when he came off you knew it was serious."

"It’s a big blow, to lose your captain and someone who leads from the front. When you’re in the situation that we’re in, we need as many leaders as we can get."

Martin van Jaarsveld will skipper the side at The Oval, with Darren Stevens returning after England Lions duty but James Tredwell is on international duty after being called up for the one-day series against Bangladesh.

Can Kent succeed despite their injury problems? Have your say below.