The loss of Hussain would be a big setback for England

The former England captain has a undisplaced fracture of the big toe on his left foot.

He suffered the injury when he was hit on the foot by a ball from Andrew Hall while batting in England's first innings on Friday.

Hussain dismissed claims that it may have occurred in a fit of temper in the dressing room wall after his dismissal by part-time spinner Jacques Rudolph.

"Get your video replays out and watch the ball from Andrew Hall hit me in the foot. It's a simple story," he told BBC Sport.

"We'll just have to see how it progresses. At the moment, I can't get my foot into a shoe."

Hussain surprisingly quit as skipper last month prior to the second Test at Lord's, with the job passing to Michael Vaughan.

But he answered questions about his future by declaring his intention to carry on playing for the forseeable future.

Shoes were out of the question for the Essex batsman

The 35-year-old has enjoyed a productive series against South Africa, scoring 293 runs at an average of 41.85, including a magnificent innings of 116 at Trent Bridge.

He has scored more than 5,000 Test runs since making his England debut 13 years ago.

If Hussain is ruled out of the Oval Test, the selectors would probably turn to Surrey's Graham Thorpe to bolster the middle order.

None of England's contracted players who turned out at Headingley will be available to play in the County Championship this week

But spinner Ashley Giles, released from the squad for the fourth Test, will be available to Warwickshire for their match against Middlesex, beginning on Tuesday.

Vaughan could play for Yorkshire in their National League match against Surrey next Sunday.

And Steve Harmison will continue his recovery from a back problem in two one-day matches for Durham.