Yorkshire captain Darren Gough will miss the Championship showdown with Sussex which begins at Hove today but his shin injury is not quite as serious as feared.

A second scan has revealed no stress fracture and physiotherapist, Scott McAllister, will pull out all the stops to get Gough fit in time for Sunday's NatWest Pro40 League encounter against Kent at Canterbury which is a game Yorkshire must win to stay in the hunt for promotion.

Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire's director of cricket, believes the Tykes will be favourites to steal the Championship crown if they can get the better of title-holders and challengers, Sussex, over the next few days.

But Moxon concedes that this year's Championship is by no means a two-horse race and Durham, Lancashire and Hampshire also still in the frame as the teams go into the home straight.

"This is a major game for us at Hove and it is vital that we win it," said Moxon.

"I am very pleased with the way that results went for us last week although it would have been even better if Durham had not beaten Worcestershire.

"If we can come away from Hove with a victory then I think we will be in a very strong position to win the Championship.

"I believe that the spinners will have a large say in the result and that is why we have signed Imran Tahir. He is an experienced leg-spinner and he and Adil Rashid should bowl well together.

"Sussex, of course, have Mushtaq Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq, but they have also got a dangerous fast bowling attack with Rana Naved and Jason Lewry which means that we are going to have bat very well."