NEIL Fairbrother is back in the Lancashire squad for tomorrow's Norwich Union National League game against Sussex at Old Trafford, although he is unlikely to play.

Fairbrother has missed the start of the season with the blood clot he suffered in his calf after a routine cartilage operation during the winter, but he returned to action with the second team in Crosby this week - and scored 148.

"Batting wise it went quite well for him, but he is still in a reasonable amount of discomfort in the knee," said manager Mike Watkinson.

"So he is unlikely to play on Sunday. But we might as well have him back in the squad with us so that when the time is right to slip him in, he's ready."

That keeps alive the chance of Fairbrother making a high-profile comeback in the Benson and Hedges Cup quarter final at Leicester on Wednesday.

Tim Roberts and John Wood return as Lancashire give another chance to the team who flopped so badly in their opening National League game against Surrey at the Oval last Sunday.

Gary Keedy and Alec Swann are likely to be left out of the Championship team.

Sussex will make three changes from their Championship line-up, with Will House, Billy Taylor and wicket keeper Tim Ambrose coming in for Mike Yardy, Jason Lewry and Matt Prior.

Lancs (probable): Chilton, Chapple, Byas, Law, Lloyd, Roberts, Schofield, Hegg, Hogg, Martin, Wood.

Meanwhile, Lancashire will scrap for every point on offer in the Championship this

season.

That was the message from manager Mike Watkinson ahead of the last day of the game against Sussex at Old Trafford.

Stuart Law and Gary Keedy secured three extra batting bonus points by steering Lancashire from 221 for nine to 366 all out with a partnership of 145, the third best for the last wicket in Red Rose history.

And Watkinson said: "Dead right that was important. I don't know whether Lancashire have treated every point as important in the past, but I do now.

"We're looking at it like football teams do - a point in the back pocket now is one less you need at the end of the season.

"You only have to look at last season, where on the last day it was the odd point that kept Lancashire in the First Division and sent Northamptonshire down."

Law's brilliant 218 has rightly been showered with praise but Keedy's modest unbeaten 25 was also vital.

Law had scored only 116 when Keedy came in, so he owes his fellow Boothstown Rat a beer or three for allowing him to reach the third double century of his career.

But Watkinson maintained that Keedy's heroics would not earn him promotion up the order.

"I still see him as a good number 11," he joked.

Keedy had a key role with the ball in Sussex's second innings and picked up two of the first six wickets to fall as they extended their lead towards 200.

There was also a first Championship wicket of the season for Chris Schofield but Peter Martin was the pick of the bowlers, continuing his consistent form by trapping Murray Goodwin and Robin Martin-Jenkins lbw, and having Richard Montgomerie caught behind for 80.

Lancashire were left to reflect on what might have been if they had not dropped Montgomerie off Kyle Hogg when he had only scored 18.