Head coach Matt Walker admits Kent may be without an overseas bowler for their final matches of the season.

New Zealand’s Matt Henry and India paceman Navdeep Saini were due to return as Kent aim to avoid relegation from County Championship Division 1 - but it’s looking increasingly likely neither will be back this summer.

Kent are looking for replacements but Walker conceded it may be tough to find someone so late in the season.

“He won’t be coming back unfortunately,” Walker said of Henry who is managing a rib injury.

“He’s had an injury and is being pretty closely monitored by New Zealand so, unfortunately, he won’t be back.

“I think more than ever this year, if there’s something that could go wrong, it will do. Look, it’s not Matt’s fault. Unfortunately, these things do happen.

“He’s governed by New Zealand Cricket and has to do the right thing by them, of course. So it’s a shame.

“The plan would have been to have Navdeep Saini and Henry back for the back-end but it looks like maybe we won’t have either, unfortunately. It’s just one of those things that happens. You can’t do much about it.

“We’re still hopeful that Saini might come but it’s looking less likely as the days go by.

“Unfortunately those things are a bit out of your control. You plan for it, you put it all in place, but things happen and you just have to go with it.

“We’ll try and think of some other options but, as you can imagine, time is ticking and the options for finding an overseas at this stage of the season are nigh-on impossible.

“We’ll try but, unfortunately, we won’t see Matt again this season.”

Henry, 30, and Saini have each made just two Championship appearances this summer, both featuring in Kent's win at Warwickshire and defeat at Lancashire in July.

On 29-year-old Saini’s situation, Walker said: “It’s up in the air a little bit.

“I understood that he would be back but I think there’s some issues in India with the Duleep Trophy. It seems like he’s been asked to play in it.

“I’m not 100% sure of quite what the outcome will be. We have given our thoughts on it that it was in place that he would be back but, when you are fighting the powers that be elsewhere, it’s always tricky.

“It may be that he does [come back] but we’ll wait and see what happens there.

“Whatever we have in the last two games of the season, we’ll just have to grit our teeth and get on with it. It will depend on injuries - we can’t afford too many more because we are a little bit thin on the ground. When you go into the back-end of the season, you want your strongest side possible.

“Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that we’ll have that overseas quality but we’ll just have to make a decision when we get to it on who's going to play those final two games.”

Kent will finish their County Championship season with matches against Hampshire and Somerset but, before then, they will take on Lancashire next Saturday in the Royal London One-Day Cup final at Trent Bridge.

Captain Sam Billings (groin) and bowler Matt Milnes (back) were both injured during Essex's first innings in their County Championship clash this week.