Usman Khawaja ruled out of Brisbane Test following back injury, Travis Head set to open
Khawaja, pictured during Tuesday's training session at the Gabba, has been struggling with a back injury since the first Ashes Test. (Curtis Rodda)
Usman Khawaja has been ruled out of the second Ashes Test with his back injury.
The 38-year-old's place in the XI had been under intense scrutiny since back spasms forced him from the field in the victorious first Test and prevented him from opening the batting.
Australia had been set for a selection dilemma given Travis Head's heroic century when replacing the out-of-form Khawaja at the top in Perth.
Khawaja completed light training duties during the team's optional session at the Gabba on Monday, stretching his back, undertaking shuttle runs and batting in the nets.
Khawaja has struggled with injury and ill form of late. (AAP: Dave Hunt)
But on Tuesday afternoon, Cricket Australia confirmed he had pulled up sore from his injury and would miss the Test that begins on Thursday.
"Khawaja will remain with the team to continue his rehabilitation," CA said in a statement.
The news means Head is likely to again partner Jake Weatherald at the top of the order, with Australia opting not to replace Khawaja in the squad.
Head's move to opener would create a vacancy in the middle order and towering all-rounder Beau Webster appears the favourite to claim it.
Loading...Webster has had an impressive first year as a Test cricketer, averaging 34.63 with the bat and taking eight wickets across his first seven Tests.
He was the odd man out at the selection table for the first Test, with Cameron Green the only all-rounder chosen in the XI that won by eight wickets.
Josh Inglis is another possibility should Australia prefer a like-for-like option to Head, who has become known for his role as the middle-order aggressor in recent years.
Inglis memorably smacked a century on Test debut in Sri Lanka earlier this year but has averaged a meagre 5.66 across his two Tests since.
Khawaja completed a nets session on Monday. (Curtis Rodda)
Khawaja will now race the clock to be fit for the third Test in Adelaide from December 17 — the day before his 39th birthday.
Even if he is able to recover, he is no guarantee to hold onto his spot for the remainder of the Ashes given a lean run of form that has yielded just one century since June 2023.
Khawaja nicked off on two runs batting in the middle order in the first innings in Perth and was not required in the second.
His injury came after spending three days on the golf course in the immediate lead-up to the series opener.
Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg later said there was no correlation between the injury and the left-hander's golfing activities.
Khawaja also raised eyebrows from CA officials last week for making a profane comment about the Perth Stadium pitch at a charity function but has not yet been sanctioned.
Meanwhile, England have announced one chance with all-rounder Will Jacks to replace the injured Mark Wood.
The 27-year old will make his first Test appearance in three years and his third overall after leapfrogging spinner Shoaib Bashir in the pecking order.
AAP