Australian batter Beth Mooney is set to undergo surgery after suffering a fractured jaw at training this week.
The injury blow is set to place the Queensland star in serious doubt for the upcoming Ashes series beginning on Thursday.
Mooney, the No.1 ranked T20 batter, will better understand her timeline following the procedure, with the 28-year-old set to go under the knife on Tuesday.
She is unlikely to feature in the first instalment of the multi-formatted Ashes series against England, which begins with a T20 encounter at Adelaide Oval before a further two short-format matches at the same venue on Saturday and Sunday.
According to Cricket.com.au, Mooney's injury was sustained during a routine training session at Karen Rolton Oval, with the Aussie opener having been struck with a ball underneath her grille during a set of throwdowns in the nets.
The concerns could be compounded should Mooney be ruled for an extended period, with Australia set to begin their 2022 World Cup campaign in early March.
The Australian camp has already been battling with injuries and setbacks to their extensive squad, with Georgia Wareham (ACL), Sophie Molineux (foot), Katie Mack (health and safety protocols) and Molly Strano (health and safety protocols) all currently sidelined.
Allrounder Courtney Webb was promoted into the squad for the opening three T20 matches of the Ashes given Australia's current status, with further reinforcements potentially becoming a necessity.
Both Strano and Mack are tipped to return for their Australia duties come the final three matches of the Ashes series, with a trio of ODI fixtures set to be played in Canberra and Melbourne from February 3.
