Australia bowler Josh Hazlewood has suffered a setback in his recovery from injury after reporting Achilles soreness during training this week.
Hazlewood, 34, one of the leading bowlers in the world, has not featured so far in the Ashes series against England, having been ruled out of the first Ashes Test against England in Perth with a hamstring issue.
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He has been dogged by injuries in recent years – he has missed seven of Australia’s Tests since the start of 2024 – including Achilles problems.
Australia say his setback is a “low-grade issue” and Hazlewood, who has taken 295 wickets in 76 Tests, is expected to return to running and bowling next week but it remains a blow to Australia.
The third Test begins in Adelaide on 17 December (23:30 GMT, 16 December) and is quickly followed by the fourth from 26 December and fifth from 4 January.
Australia have also been without captain and bowler Pat Cummins for the first two Ashes Tests as he recovers from a back injury.