A DECISION over whether Michael Vaughan should undergo a further knee operation will be taken at a top-level meeting on Monday.

The England captain will discuss his future treatment with England Test physiotherapist Kirk Russell and Yorkshire physiotherapists Wayne Morton and Scott McAllister.

Vaughan's knee condition has visibly worsened over the past few days at Arundel and he has had to be ruled out of Yorkshire's final Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy North Conference match against Worcestershire at New Road tomorrow.

McAllister said: "Michael's rehab programme seems to have suffered a setback and we will have to decide whether he needs a longer period of strengthening his knee or if some other course of action is required.

"A fourth operation on his knee is a possibility, but at this stage nothing has been set in stone and the situation needs to be carefully assessed."

If Vaughan is forced to have an operation to safeguard his career, he would definitely miss the remainder of this season both with Yorkshire and England and there would be a big question mark over his recovery in time for this winter's Ashes series in Australia.

Vaughan was again unable to take the field for Yorkshire at Arundel yesterday and concern is mounting over his knee.

If he does decide on an operation, it will be sooner rather than later and an announcement could be made early next week.

At the moment neither Vaughan nor England wish to speak openly about the situation but it is obvious that something positive has to happen very soon because he is further away from full fitness than he was a few weeks ago.

Yorkshire (v Worcestershire) from: White, Wood, Sayers, Lumb, McGrath, Gale, Gilbert, Brophy, Dawson, Ajmal Shahzad, Thornicroft, Claydon, Patterson.