In-form Vasconcelos misses out on Steelbacks' trip to Edgbaston

The left-hander has been struggling with a wrist problem.

He missed out against Leicestershire Foxes last Friday after failing a late fitness test, but played in last Sunday's win at Worcestershire Rapids.

The opener then wasn't fit enough to face Durham on Tuesday, and has now been omitted from the team making short trip to Birmingham.

It is a big blow for skipper David Willey’s side, with Vasconcelos the team's second leading run-scorer in this season's competition, trailing Chris Lynn by just 11 runs having played two innings fewer.

He has hit two half centuries and is averaging 39.6 at a healthy strike-rate of 151.

His place at the top of the order will once again be taken by fellow left-hander Emilio Gay, who top-scored with 53 at Durham in midweek, his maiden half-century in the competition.

The Steelbacks have named a 14-man squad for the encounter, with Vasconcelos missing out the only change.

The Bears will go into the clash with the Steelbacks off the back of three straight defeats, having won their opening four matches in the North Group.

They were beaten by six wickets by Derbyshire on Wednesday night, failing to defend their total of 203 for seven.

They will be skippered by England all-rounder Moeen Ali, who is playing his final Blast game for the club before joining up with his international team-mates ahead of next week's first Ashes Test.

Moeen has been called out of retirement to play red ball cricket, following the stress fracture in his back suffered by Jack Leach.

The Bears' losing run has coincided with Moeen's return from playing in the Indian Premier League. The team has yet to win a match with Moeen – who rejoined the club in the winter after leaving Worcestershire – in the line up.

Fellow Test all-rounder Chris Woakes has been left out of the Bears squad.

Steelbacks squad: Willey, Cobb, Gay, Heldreich, Keogh, Lynn, McManus, Russell, Sanderson, Sales, Tye, Taylor, G White, Zaib

Bears squad: Ali, Barnard, Benjamin, Bethell, Briggs, Brookes, Davies, Hain, Hannon-Dalby, Lintott, Maxwell, Miles, Mousley, Yates