Cape Town - Proteas seamer Vernon Philander has been ruled out of the remainder of the four-Test series against England.

Philander has been sidelined since suffering ankle ligament damage in India during a warm-up football drill.

There was hope that he may feature in the final two Tests against England, but Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Wednesday confirmed that he will not recover in time.

Meanwhile, fast bowler Dale Steyn remains an injury doubt for the third Test starting in Johannesburg on January 14.

Steyn missed the second Test, which ended in a draw in Cape Town on Wednesday, after suffering a shoulder spasm during the first Test in Durban, where he bowled only 22 balls in the second innings.

While a scan in Durban showed no muscle damage, Steyn is seeking a second opinion from another specialist ahead of a fitness test when the squad meets up again in Johannesburg on Monday.