Mitchell Starc to be rested for the 4th Ashes Test.
Mitchell Starc returned home on crutches after bowling under duress on days four and five of the WACA Test, having helped his side to claim an unassailable 3-0 lead in the Ashes with a resounding victory over England.
The left-armer has been cleared of serious damage but a bruised heel means he remains in doubt for the clash with England that starts on Tuesday.
It would prove a bitter pill for Starc to swallow. He has played 39 Tests since debuting in 2011, but only taken part in one MCG Test because of form and fitness issues.
Coach Darren Lehmann and medical staff will make the final call and they'll be understandably cautious, given Starc's importance to the side during a Test tour of South Africa that follows the Ashes.
National selector Mark Waugh has confirmed Australia will err on the side of caution regrading Mitchell Starc's fitness, with the spearhead an unlikely starter for the Boxing Day Test because of a foot injury.
Jackson Bird hasn't played for Australia since last year's Boxing Day Test. The right-armer has been on drinks duty through this series, impressing Steve Smith in the nets. Bird is unable to generate Starc's potent mix of express pace, swing and bounce but has consistently troubled batsmen this Sheffield Shield season, topping the wicket-taking list with 25 scalps at 16.56.
"Jackson's been bowling particularly well and I'm sure he'll rise to the occasion if he gets an opportunity," Smith told reporters in Melbourne.
Former captain Allan Border also suggested it would be sensible for Starc to miss the fourth Test. "He's had different problems with that same foot," Border told Fox Sports.
