Ashes 2017: David Warner injures neck at Australian training ahead of first Test

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Ashes 2017: David Warner injures neck at Australian training ahead of first Test

By Chris Barrett
Updated

The dire scenario of David Warner having to sit out the first Ashes Test remained a possibility on Tuesday after the vice-captain sent an injury scare through the Australian camp, leaving selectors having to consider calling a batsman into the squad as cover.

There will be great interest at the Australian team's hotel in Brisbane in the condition of Warner when he turns up in the breakfast room on Wednesday after leaving training with a stiff neck picked up during a fielding drill at the Gabba.

David Warner speaks with medical staff after hurting his neck at training.

David Warner speaks with medical staff after hurting his neck at training.Credit: AAP

He said he hoped treatment from the team's physiotherapist, David Beakley, on Tuesday afternoon could help reduce the pain and limitations in his movement overnight but the signs were not ideal, with Warner admitting he could not turn his head to face throwdowns from Australian batting coach Graeme Hick.

Warner left Australia's penultimate pre-series nets session for treatment after only two balls had been flung at him by Hick.

"It was more of an alignment thing. I couldn't align myself to face-on with Hicky," he said. "For me, if I'm not being able to face-on him there is no point because I can't angle myself and I'll get into real bad habits. That's not how I want to train."

An Australian spokesperson said selectors would wait until Wednesday to decide whether to bring a player into the squad in Brisbane as cover.

Having less than a week ago settled on a shock line-up for the first Test the panel may be left with another tough decision over who to add to Smith's squad.

Dumped opener Matt Renshaw, due to fly to Perth on Wednesday afternoon for Queensland's Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia, would be a candidate. However, if Warner was in serious doubt a desire to have at least one opener pushing the score along might convince Australia's back-up plan to include Shaun Marsh shifting up from No.6. The result in that circumstance would require a new addition to the middle order, bringing the likes of the dropped Glenn Maxwell and Hilton Cartwright, and NSW's Daniel Hughes into the frame.

As it stood on Tuesday, Warner was confident he would be fit to play on Thursday. "I don't think a sore neck is going to slow me down," he said.

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Warner has not missed a Test through injury during his 66-match career. Aside from the two Tests he was made unavailable for during the 2013 Ashes series due to his run-in with Joe Root in a Birmingham bar he has been a constant in the Australian batting order since his debut against New Zealand in 2011.

Warner had been looking skyward to take a high ball during a fielding practice when he said he felt pain in his neck.

"My neck is quite stiff. I took a high ball out there and something just twinged in my neck," he said. "I'm just getting a bit of physio treatment at the moment and hopefully it settles down in the next 24 to 48 hours."

"I haven't really had a stiff neck like this one. I'll obviously get some treatment on it and a heat pack on it tonight."

His absence would be an enormous blow for Australia but England certainly were not treating the Warner injury too seriously.

"I can't see Warner not playing, he'll be fine," England spinner Moeen Ali said. "Even if he had a stiff neck he'd still want to play."

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