Sophie Ecclestone available for India T20Is but England face being without Charlie Dean

A stomach bug which went around the England A camp could force the off-spinner to miss the first T20I at the Wankhede Stadium

Sophie Ecclestone appears to have convinced England she is fit to return to action in the first T20I against India at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday (December 6).

Ecclestone has been sidelined since dislocating her shoulder in August, missing the end of The Hundred, the Sri Lanka white-ball matches and the Women's Big Bash League.

Part of the training camp in Oman, the 24-year-old left-arm spinner appears on the brink of a recall. Though there are concerns about fielding on hard, dry outfields in India, England captain Heather Knight is optimistic she is ready.

"She is doing really well. She is back bowling," Knight said. "The bowling won't be an issue. Probably fielding, a bit nervousness … I have had injuries before, and it is always [about] getting over and trusting your body again.

"In the heat of the battle, Sophie will be doing that and should be able to get over that.

The Wankhede Stadium will host all three T20Is (Graham Crouch/Getty Images)

"She has been tracking really well in training. She has been fielding, diving and things like that. We'll keep an eye on her as she is a key player for us."

But the news is less positive for Charlie Dean, who is laid up with the same stomach bug that went through the England A camp. The Southern Vipers off-spinner took four wickets across the first two T20Is against India A before missing the decider on Sunday (December 3).

"Charlie Dean is the latest to go down and can take a little bit of time to recover from that," Knight said of the 23-year-old, who is also part of the Test squad.

"She is the only one that is in potential doubt. We have had a strict quarantine and transition period to come across to the England team. We'll see how she is."

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