England will be without all-rounder Tim Bresnan for tomorrow's opening match of their cricket tour of the United Arab Emirates.
The 26-year-old is still recovering from surgery to remove bone fragments from his right elbow just over a month ago.
Captain Andrew Strauss said Bresnan, who has not bowled in practice since arriving in Dubai with the squad on Wednesday would not be risked in the three-day match against a team made up of players from cricket's second-tier countries.
Fellow paceman Chris Tremlett is also a doubt for tomorrow's game because of a sore eye.
Strauss said England would approach the match, the first of two games they play ahead of the first test against Pakistan in Dubai starting on January the 17th, with high intensity.
Opposition captain William Porterfield of Ireland says his players were relishing the prospect of playing against the world's number one test team.
The tour is taking place in the United Arab Emirates because of security concerns in Pakistan.
