West Australian pair Shaun Marsh and Cameron Bancroft are at the head of the queue for a Test call-up after Usman Khawaja suffered another unlucky injury blow.
Khawaja is in severe doubt for the day-night Test against New Zealand in Adelaide later this month after re-injuring his left hamstring while fielding at the WACA Ground on Saturday.
The 28-year-old was sprinting after a ball in 34-degree heat when his hamstring gave way.
Khawaja cut a dejected figure as he limped from the field, knowing his chances of playing in the first ever day-night Test are all but up in smoke.
The stylish left-hander will undergo scans on Sunday to determine the extent of the damage, but he has just two weeks to recover before the third Test starts on November 27.
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The setback came just a day after Khawaja spent more than four hours at the crease to craft a classy century - his second ton in as many Tests.
It's the same hamstring Khawaja tweaked last month while completing sprint training with Queensland.
It caps an unlucky year for Khawaja, who missed most of last summer after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a training mishap.
"My fingers are crossed that he can try and recover in the next 10 to 15 days," his long-time friend David Warner said.
"(Having scored) back-to-back hundreds, and running a lot out in the middle, and fielding at mid-off as well - having to chase a hell of a lot of balls to the boundary - is not ideal.
"But that's part and parcel of this game. It can be quite challenging.
"We wish him all the best."
Khawaja's likely absence in Adelaide has opened the door for Marsh or Bancroft to earn a call-up, while run machine Michael Klinger is also an outside chance following his hot form over the past 18 months.
Bancroft was unlucky to miss out on a Test debut in the series opener at the Gabba, with selectors opting for Burns.
Burns has since established a strong opening partnership with David Warner, making Marsh a more likely replacement for Khawaja given his experience in the middle order.
Marsh struck two centuries during the recent domestic one-day cup competition, while he also tallied 92 in a Sheffield Shield loss to South Australia earlier this month.
However, his return in Test ranks has been a mixed bag, with the 32-year-old averaging just 33.11 from 15 matches.
