England's James Anderson said he expects to return from his groin injury in "a couple of weeks" but the experienced fast bowler is not aiming for a comeback for the one-off Test against Ireland so he can be fully fit again in time for the Ashes.

England's top pacer James Anderson gave an update on his recent injury ahead of the one-off friendly against Ireland and the Ashes afterwards. Anderson had left the pitch with a minor groin strain during the county championship game in Lancashire last week.

With the Ashes series due to start on June 16, both the English and Australian Cricket Associations are hoping their players are at their best, both physically and mentally. Recently, however, the English and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) suffered a major setback when veteran pacer James Anderson suffered a groin injury.

The 40-year-old is England's top bowler in Tests with 685 wickets and is crucial to their chances after fellow pacer Jofra Archer was ruled out of the Ashes with an elbow injury.

"Obviously getting hurt isn't great, but it's probably the best result for what it is because it's a substandard thing. I think I'll be fully fit again in a few weeks," Anderson said.

"It's frustrating because before a series you always want to feel good and bowl enough and want to be fresh. That’s why it’s now a matter of planning the best route for this summer.”

"I felt like I had to play that game, so it's not ideal, but I'm not stressed."

Anderson said he was trying to avoid a similar situation to 2019 when he was injured on day one of the first Test against Australia.

A sore calf injury ruled him out for the remainder of the season as Australia retained the Ashes after the series ended 2-2 in England.

"I just take it day by day and see how it goes because obviously I don't want to risk anything by making it worse," Anderson added.

"I'm more confident that I can pull this off (compared to 2019) and give the Ashes a really good breakthrough."