Whilst its a mixture of good and bad news for the Australian paceman, Mitchell Starc has avoided serious foot damage but still remains in doubt for the Boxing Day Test.
Starc had scans in Sydney after leaving Perth following Australia's Ashes triumph after taking a 3-0 lead in the series.
Even though he spent the entirety of Tuesday night in an ice bucket in a desperate attempt to get himself ready for the fourth Test, scans came back with results showing severe bruising to the heel.
He is currently the leading wicket taker in the Ashes Series with a total of 19 and has told Australian captain Steve Smith he wants to play in Melbourne.
But with a busy summer cricket schedule with limited over games before a four-Test tour of South Africa, resting Starc is the smartest option.
“He was a little bit sore. He said it didn’t get any worse when he was bowling,” Australian captain Steve Smith said in Perth.
“That’s something we have to sum up. We’ve wrapped the series up here.
“But we’ve also got an important tour to South Africa after this series, which we’d love to have him available for. There’s a few things for us to sum up. We’ll see how he pulls up over the next couple of days. I’m sure that will determine which way we’ll go.”
With Starc more likely than not to be ruled out of the Boxing Day Test, Jackson Bird is his likely replacement.
