Monday, July 6, 2009

Lee injury blow rocks Australia

First Ashes Test: England v Australia
Venue: The Swalec Stadium, Cardiff Date: 8-12 July
Coverage: Test Match Special commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live sports extra, BBC Radio 4 Long Wave, Red Button and BBC Sport website, plus live text commentary on BBC Sport website and mobiles. Live on Sky Sports

Brett Lee
Lee is only just returning from injury after foot and ankle surgery

Australia have suffered a potential blow ahead of the start of the Ashes series against England after seamer Brett Lee broke down with a rib injury.

Lee, one of the survivors of Australia's 2005 Ashes defeat, reported soreness in the left side after the tour game with England Lions.

It forced the 32-year-old to miss training on Monday as he travelled to hospital for scans on the problem.

It means Lee could miss the first Ashes Test at Cardiff, starting on Wednesday.

The results of that scan are not expected until late on Monday night or Tuesday morning, with an Australian team spokesman confirming: "He has a sore left rib, but we won't know the extent of it until the scans are back.

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"We're in a holding pattern until then."

Lee's absence would be a big blow to Australia following the paceman's impressive display in the warm-up match against the Lions.

He took seven wickets for 114 in the drawn tour game at New Road, putting him in pole position to lead the Aussie attack against England alongside the likes of Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle.

But he could now miss out again, having last played a Test against South Africa in December because of surgery on foot and ankle problems.

Should Lee be absent, Australia will have to decide between picking off-form spinner Nathan Hauritz or employing a seam-only attack with Ben Hilfenhaus a potential like-for-like replacement.

о 1:04 AM

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