Anderson to train at Manchester City for injury recovery

Anderson had originally sustained the injury while playing for Lancashire in July, before it resurfaced during the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston, forcing him off the field after bowling just four overs. He was subsequently ruled out of the remainder of the series.

Anderson was also ignored for the 15-member squad for the two-Test New Zealand tour, and now aims to return during the four-Test series in South Africa, starting with the Boxing Day Test in Centurion.

The 37-year-old will have access to the facilities at the Etihad campus for the next two months, and will be under the supervision of England's head of strength and conditioning Rob Ahmun.

"[Anderson] will be hoping to use the world-class facilities at the Etihad Campus with the England Cricket sports science team over the next two months, leading into the South Africa tour, which starts in December," an ECB spokesman said.

Anderson, the leading wicket-taker among fast bowlers in Tests, was immensely disappointed at having missed the last four games during the Ashes. He is now seeking inspiration from footballer Ryan Giggs, who made a staggering 963 appearances for Manchester United and played till the age of 40.

"It has been absolutely devastating to miss the Ashes series, but I have not thought for one second about retiring," Anderson said. "In fact, I'm going to look into how Ryan Giggs was able to play football at the highest level until he was 40. That's what I'd like to do."