Earlier this month, Jonny Bairstow said he was "on the right track" in his recovery after breaking his leg in three places and dislocating his ankle in a freak accident back in September.
Bairstow has had surgery on the injury and has begun running again, with the 33-year-old likely to return to action in the IPL provided there are no setbacks in his recovery. He will then look to regain his place in the Test team ahead of the Ashes, with head coach Brendon McCullum stating in December that "as soon as he's fit he's back in the side".
However, in Bairstow's absence Harry Brook has slotted in seamlessly at number five, smashing three hundreds and five half-centuries in seven Test innings against South Africa, Pakistan and New Zealand. With Ollie Pope impressing at number three, where he averages 43.05, and Joe Root and Ben Stokes undroppable, England face a real dilemma on how to get Bairstow back in the side.
England legend Steve Harmison admits he "doesn't see him fitting into the middle-order" for the Ashes and suggested he will either keep wicket instead of Ben Foakes or open the batting like he does in white-ball cricket.
"I don't think many people have answers when it comes to where Jonny Bairstow is going to fit into this Test team," Harmison told OnlineCricketBetting.
"Yet anyway. I'd love to come back to it and talk about him coming into the team, a week before the Ashes, and make a big decision. If everything goes as it is, at this minute in time, and Jonny can keep wicket, there could be a role for him there, possibly, even though that could be harsh on Ben Foakes."
However, Bairstow was at his best last year without the gloves, only averaging 28.22 when keeping since the start of 2017 and England may be wary about putting his body through the demands of keeping wicket in Tests given he is coming back from a broken leg and the Ashes will be played in a tight 46-day window.
"If he's not able to keep wicket, I think two years ago, I'd have been throwing things at my TV if someone had suggested this. Does he go and open the batting and try to put pressure on the new ball," Harmison added.
"At this minute in time, there are the two places to look at first then after that you look at the form. If Pope is scoring runs, if Brook is scoring runs, if Root is scoring runs, then all of a sudden, England are scoring 450 and winning games, then you look at it and ask if you can fit him in the team.
"All these things will come into the melting pot for selectors. I possibly think England will either go with him as a keeper or as an opener, I don't see him fitting into the middle-order but you might get an injury and he will just slot back in, not a problem at all. Then you look at who comes out if that person gets injured.
"He has to come back though, that's the thing for me, whatever way you find a place for him, he has to come back. If he can keep wicket, bend down and get up, I think that's where he fits in for me, unfortunately for Ben Foakes."
