Ireland World Cup hero Boyd Rankin's injury curse has returned and he may be out for the season with a shoulder injury.

The fast bowler hurt himself in the warm-up for Warwickshire's county championship opener at Edgbaston and has been diagnosed with a SLAP tear, which requires surgery and a recovery period of three to six months.

"I just dived for a ball in the warm-up and landed awkwardly," Rankin said. "Then I went on as a substitute fielder and had to dive for another ball. When I tried to throw it in it felt as if I'd been stabbed. It's very frustrating. I'd worked so hard. But it's better to have the operation now than let it get worse and hopefully I can get a few months' cricket later in the summer."