James Anderson "absolutely flying" as England prepare to kick-off South Africa tour

The Lancashire seamer has been nursing a calf problem since August but appears finally ready to make his return

England will give their all-time wicket-taker James Anderson the chance to prove his fitness for the first Test against South Africa when the tour kicks off this week.

The Lancashire seamer is expected to line up in a two-day game with a South Africa Invitational XI which starts on Tuesday.

Anderson has not played competitively since limping out of the first Ashes Test with Australia at the start of August.

A comeback planned later in the summer was aborted and he was omitted from the squad which went to New Zealand earlier this winter.

But coach Chris Silverwood is confident his premier seamer is 100 per cent fit as the first of four Tests against The Proteas loom.

"Jimmy Anderson is absolutely flying at the moment, he's in a great place," he said.

^{Mark Wood might have to wait to make his Test return}

Central to the 37-year-old's improved fitness has been a sustained period in Potchefstroom alongside fellow injury victim Mark Wood, who has already been recalled for the series after not going to New Zealand.

A side strain followed by a bout of surgery also ruled Wood out of the Ashes but his comeback may have to wait until the New Year.

"Woody, we've got to be a little bit patient with," added Silverwood. "We are looking at somewhere around the third Test [at Port Elizabeth on January 16] but we'll be guided by how his body pulls up as well."

England will have two warm-up fixtures to adapt to conditions before facing South Africa in the first Test at Centurion starting on Boxing Day.

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