Alex Hales' broken hand scan gives Sam Billings an opening ahead of West Indies one-day series  

• e-mail

Jason Roy expects to resume his opening partnership with Alex Hales by the time the Champions Trophy starts this summer.

Hales is currently recovering from the broken right hand he sustained during last month's one-day series in India and will join up with England in the Caribbean this week after undergoing a scan on Monday.

The 28-year-old, who hit an England one-day record score of 171 against Pakistan at Trent Bridge last August, will be added to the squad if the results of the scan are positive.  

Alex Hales is set to have a scan on the hand he broke during England's one-day series in India 

Hales will join up with England in the Caribbean this week regardless of the scan's results

Even if they are not, Hales will fly to Antigua, where the first of three one-day internationals against the West Indies start on Friday, to continue his rehab with England.

Given his hand is still in a cast, Hales is likely to miss at least the first two ODIs in the Caribbean.

That will give Sam Billings a chance to stake a claim for an opening position alongside Roy ahead of the Champions Trophy.

However, Roy still expects Hales to be alongside him at the top of the order by the time England open their Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh at The Oval on June 1.

Hales' injury has given Sam Billings the opportunity to stake his claim for a regular place

The Surrey opener, who struck 79 from 43 balls in England's first warm-up match against a University of West Indies Vice-Chancellor's XI in St Kitts on Saturday, said: 'Hales will probably come straight back in, I would have thought. He deserves that spot. But competition for places is high. We've some very good players.

'It's a big opportunity for Billings to come in and show what he's got. There's big competition for places for us three.'

Roy is one of six players in England's squad here who will play in this year's Indian Premier League. He may not have landed as lucrative a windfall as Ben Stokes, who was picked up by Pune for a staggering £1.7million in last week's auction.

However, the 26-year-old, who earned a £120,000 deal with Gujarat Lions, believes the experience gained by England's IPL contingent will help the team cope with the pressure of being favourites on home soil during the Champions Trophy.

Roy, speaking ahead of England's final warm-up match against a West Indies President's XI on Monday, said: 'It'll be my first time going to the IPL. It's not just about the money. You get used to playing in front of massive crowds and, being an overseas player, the pressure is on to do well. It's all foundation blocks to a big tournament.'