WORCESTERSHIRE have received a double injury boost with director of cricket Steve Rhodes optimistic skipper Daryl Mitchell and paceman Matt Henry will return for their NatWest T20 Blast double-header.

Rapids visit Leicestershire Foxes on Friday night (6.30pm) and then entertain Notts Outlaws in a live Sky Sports-televised clash on Saturday (2.30pm).

Mitchell and Henry have both been sidelined with rib injuries but Rhodes has indicated the signs are encouraging.

He said: “The lads are getting back to square one. Matt and Daryl are rapidly improving. We expect them to be playing some cricket this weekend.”

Rhodes was left frustrated after torrential rain washed out Rapids' Royal London One-Day Cup clash with Leicestershire Foxes today.

New Road was left flooded following a lunchtime deluge after conditions improved sufficiently for umpires Neil Bainton and Nick Cook to announce a 2pm inspection.

Rhodes said: “It is desperately frustrating. You can’t do anything about the rain.

“At one stage we really thought we’d get maybe a 20-over game again, which we were obviously very keen to do. But that last huge downpour sadly put paid to that.

“It is frustrating for the players, management, supporters, everyone. Sadly, that is sometimes an English summer for you.”

Bowling coach Matt Mason feels the extra day of rest may prove beneficial to a hectic schedule of cricket across all formats.

Rapids have the back-to-back T20 games before starting a Specsavers County Championship Division Two clash at Derbyshire on Monday.

Mason said: “I haven’t seen rain like that for a long, long time. What can you do about the weather when it is like that.

“Unfortunately, we just have to share the points on this occasion and move on to Friday.

“We have had this momentum in white-ball cricket but at least we haven’t got to wait too long until our next game.

“If anything, if we look at a positive, maybe it is another day to freshen up and a chance for our guys to be hungry again for Friday.

“We’ve got a big week of cricket coming up so maybe it is an extra rest we could do with.

“It is a busy time and when you throw T20, 50-over and Championship cricket all in the mix together, perhaps this is one day the guys will be thankful to rest although, of course, they would like to play.”