Australia spinner Nathan Lyon believes captain Pat Cummins will struggle to be fit for the Ashes opener in Perth but could “realistically” return for the second Test in Brisbane.
Cummins, 32, is recovering from a back injury that had threatened to rule him out of the highly anticipated series against England.
Australia’s chair of selectors George Bailey expects the fast bowler to play a “major part” in the five-match contest but Lyon thinks the first Test, which starts on 21 November, will come too soon.
“Perth might be pretty difficult, if I’m being honest,” he told ABC Sport.
“But realistically, I think there’s still a big goal to potentially play Brisbane [or] Adelaide.”
Should he miss the first Test, Cummins would have another 13 days to prove his fitness before the day-night Test in Brisbane on 4 December and a further 13 beyond that until the Adelaide Test starts on 17 December.
Cummins was ruled out of Australia’s limited-overs series against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress injury in his back.
He has a history of back issues, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss three Australian summers in four years.
“I personally think we’ll see him involved in the series at some stage,” Lyon added.
“He’s doing everything that he possibly can. That’s one where you’re really proud of him as a mate but also as a team-mate and your captain, he’s really leading the way by setting the example. He’s training his backside off.
“I’ve seen him doing the work and you know the class of the player, but also the professionalism of Pat. He’s giving himself the best chance and that’s all we can ask.”