Ashes 2017: Australia's Mitchell Starc appears doubtful for Boxing Day Test

Melbourne, Dec 23 (CRICKETNMORE) - Australia speedster Mitchell Starc's foot injury could force him to warm the bench during the fourth Ashes Test against England, starting on Boxing Day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Starc's pace partner Pat Cummins rated

Cummins, who suffered a similar foot injury immediately following his Test debut in 2011 and was out of action for more than four months, said it could aggravate if not treated well.

"I chatted to him about it. I had a similar one on my Test debut and it's one of those ones where there's no way around it. You can't strap it differently, you can't bowl off the other foot or anything. It's hard to hide.

"So (you have to) try and get it early enough and not try and really, really damage it. It can be a long process trying to get it right.

"He knows that, the staff know that and I'm sure they'll work it out," Cummins said.

In case Starc fails to play, Jackson Bird will likely come in for his first Test since last year's Boxing Day Test, having spent the past 12 months with the squad but not in the playing XI.