Allrounder to return home to begin rehabilitation ahead of Border-Gavaskar Test series after scans revealed a back injury

Australia are hopeful Cameron Green will be fit for their blockbuster home Test summer against India after the allrounder was ruled out of the ongoing ODI tour of England with a back injury.

Green reported back soreness following Australia’s 46-run loss in Durham and was left out of the XI for tonight’s delayed fourth ODI at Lord’s after scans in London revealed the injury.

An Australia men’s team spokesperson said the extent of the injury and a timeline for his return wouldn’t be known until the 25-year-old arrives home in Perth for further assessment.

Green was Australia’s best bowler in the third ODI on Tuesday with 2-45, also scoring 42 with the bat as the reigning world champions lost their first one-day international in their past 15 matches.

The allrounder was left out of the second ODI at Headingley to manage his workloads after bowling in the previous six matches of their UK tour, which included being the team’s leading wicket-taker during their 3-0 T20 sweep of Scotland.

While the start of the home Test summer is still eight weeks away, the injury to Green adds further intrigue to who should partner Usman Khawaja for the Border-Gavaskar Test series opener in Perth beginning on November 22.

Steve Smith shuffled up to open following David Warner’s retirement last summer, which allowed Green to return to the side at No.4.

But Khawaja is in favour of Smith returning to second drop against India and has suggested Travis Head could be better suited to partner him at the top of the order.

Head stonewalled any talk of him opening for the Test side following his 154 not out in the Nottingham ODI series opener last week, encouraging the media to keep the chatter (as it) makes it interesting.”

Pressed further, Head, who’s previously ruled himself out by saying opening is a specialist’s job, was rather less keen to keep answering.

“I’m not going to dive into that. I’ll just let that play out,” he said.

Green could also play as a specialist batter, but if further assessment once home in Perth does reveal a more serious injury, it could allow Smith – who says he’s happy to bat anywhere – to return to his previous batting position and Head to remain at his preferred No.5 spot.

That would then open the door again for specialist openers Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris and Matthew Renshaw to earn a recall.

Green is the fifth Australian to be ruled out of the ongoing UK white-ball tour following injuries to Nathan Ellis, Xavier Bartlett, Riley Meredith and Ben Dwarshuis.

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Australia T20 squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood (England games only), Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Riley Meredith, Matt Short (England games only), Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

September 4: Australia beat Scotland by seven wickets

September 6: Australia beat Scotland by 70 runs

September 7: Australia beat Scotland by six wickets

September 11: Australia beat England by 28 runs

September 13: England beat Australia by three wickets

September 15: Match abandoned

Australia ODI squad: Mitch Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa. Reserve: Mahli Beardman

September 19: Australia beat England by seven wickets

September 21: Australia beat England by 68 runs

September 24: England beat Australia by 46 runs (DLS method)

September 27: Fourth ODI v England, Lord’s, London, 9.30pm AEST

September 29: Fifth ODI v England, County Ground, Bristol, 8pm AEST