Australia are confident Josh Hazelwood will play again in the home Test summer after the seamer was ruled out of the series opener against South Africa with a sidestrain.
The hosts had a mixed morning on the injury front on Monday, with captain Pat Cummins declared almost certain to play at the Gabba after bowling six pain-free overs in the Adelaide Oval nets.
The 29-year-old later said he was a "100 per cent" starter, with medical staff also confident and ready to give him the final tick of approval later in the week.
The news was not so good for Hazlewood.
He will travel to Brisbane separately as he battles the side strain he suffered late in the Perth Test against the West Indies, before it subsequently ruled him out of Adelaide.
The 31-year-old is now facing the prospect of his second straight interrupted summer, after also straining his side last season and missing the final four Ashes Tests.
Officials are confident this injury is not as bad, and say Hazlewood could return against the Proteas at the MCG on Boxing Day or in the third and final Test in Sydney in the new year.
"It's a different area of injury to last year," Australia's physio Nick Jones said.
"The severity of the injury is very low. At the moment the turnaround time we are expecting is a bit quicker.
"Last year he was hoping with every Test it would get better, and it didn't actually get over the hump until the end of the Test series."
Jones said Hazlewood's soreness was subsiding and he was hopeful the quick would soon be able to bowl again.
"This one, we are a bit more confident that once that little bit of soreness he's got settles down, that he will be able to ramp up his bowling a bit quicker," Jones said.
"And then hopefully he'll be available for one of the last couple of Tests of the summer."
The injury caps a frustrating 12 months for the seamer in red-ball cricket after he played one Test in Pakistan and none in Sri Lanka, with both series played on spin-friendly pitches.
Even if he is fit for the SCG, a spinning wicket could persuade selectors to go with only two quicks, while Australia then return to Asia for a tour of India in February.
Hazlewood's injury and Cummins' fitness means Michael Neser and Scott Boland will battle for the role of third paceman.
Boland is the likely favourite given his Test record of 21 wickets at 10.33, but Neser's home ground knowledge as a Queenslander could play into his hands.
Speedster Lance Morris will also remain with the group, but is unlikely to feature unless another injury occurs.
AUSTRALIA SQUAD FOR FIRST TEST: Pat Cummins (capt), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Lance Morris, Michael Neser, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner.
