JOE ROOT is targeting Yorkshire's LV= County Championship match against Middlesex at Lord's for his return from a broken right thumb.

Root suffered the injury whilst batting in the one-day series against the West Indies at Antigua earlier this month, although he continued his innings and scored a maiden one-day international hundred.

He was subsequently ruled out of the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, which starts for England this weekend, and an x-ray showed his thumb was broken in eight places.

If the 23-year-old's aim of playing at Lord's on April 27 is fulfilled, he will have missed only the first two Championship matches of the season against Somerset and Northamptonshire.

England's first international of the summer is a one-day match against Scotland on May 9.

Root told his official Facebook page: “It’s coming along. I’ve had a couple of X-rays now, and it seems to be improving. Hopefully that continues.

“I think the cast will be on for the next five weeks or so. I’m looking to make a comeback for the end of April, so fingers crossed I’ll be back playing for Yorkshire then.

“The Middlesex game would be my first game back at Lord’s since scoring 180 against Australia (last summer). It’s always a great place to play with a really good atmosphere. It’s a very special ground, and I really enjoy playing there. If I can play in that game, it would be nice.”