Darren Gough is making an excellent recovery from his knee injury and there are strong indications that he will soon be signing a new contract with Yorkshire and playing for his native county this season.

Further talks between Gough and the club's chief executive Colin Graves will take place on Monday and an announcement over the Yorkshire and England fast bowler's future may be made later in the week.

Gough has now completed the rehabilitation exercises on his knee and he was able to join his Yorkshire team-mates when they reported back to Headingley for pre-season training this week.

"I have already spoken to Darren and will have further discussions with him on Monday," said Graves.

"Nothing has yet been decided but hopefully we will be in a position in a few days time to know if Darren has made a complete recovery and is fit to play first-class cricket.

"At the moment his knee appears to be standing up well to the rigours of bowling and he has been running in at about 60-70 per cent of his normal speed in the nets."

It's been an encouraging week so far for Gough but a bitterly disappointing one for Yorkshire's new captain, Anthony McGrath, who is laid up with flu.

McGrath should have been meeting up with his colleagues on Monday and spelling out his tactics for the season but it will now be next week before he is fit enough to join up with squad.

"It is very frustrating not being with the boys as planned but I will be meeting up with them individually just as soon as I can," said McGrath, who is not by himself in going down with flu, two or three of the other players also being affected.

Meanwhile, Yorkshire's director of cricket, Geoff Cope, wants England to make Michael Vaughan their one-day captain following the resignation from the job of Nasser Hussain.

Cope, who returns from South Africa next week after watching England crash out of the World Cup, said: "I would like to think that Michael will be made captain and I would support him to the hilt.

"Michael has proved himself to be a world-class batsman and his confidence is sky-high.

"He is also an England player who will be around for at least the next five years and he is just the man to lead England into the next World Cup in 2007."

Former Yorkshire chairman, Keith Moss, has been nominated as a vice-president of the club and will be up for election at the annual meeting at Headingley this month.

Moss, who is president of Bradford League club Pudsey St Lawrence, has been nominated by the Yorkshire Management Board in recognition of his outstanding work over the past 12 years.

Elected to the general committee in1991, Moss served as club chairman from 1998 until the committee was abolished last year. He was also chairman of the Headingley ground development committee.

Also put forward to become vice-presidents are Peter Townend, who served as club treasurer from 1984-2002, and former committee members Tony Cawdry, Sid Fielden, Jack Sokell and David Welch, who each gave at least 21 years service.

Former players who have been nominated as honorary life members are Bob Platt, Phil Sharpe, and former club chairman, treasurer and second team captain, Michael Crawford.