Teenage Australian quick Lauren Cheatle will miss at least the start of the women's Big Bash League, with scans confirming a back injury.
Cheatle, 19, was omitted on Tuesday from Australia's Twenty20 squad for the three-game conclusion to the women's Ashes series after she experienced pain in hew lower back.
And that layoff will extend to at least the end of the year, and the first six matches of the WBBL with her new club, the Sydney Sixers.
"Lauren has sustained a bone stress injury to her back and will be unavailable for the remainder of this year," Australia's physio Kate Mahony said.
"The injury will be reassessed in the new year and we hope to have more information regarding her ability to return to the game at that stage."
The left-arm quick is understood to have had niggling injuries in the lead-up to last week's drawn one-off Test, and missed selection after being named in Australia's 13-player squad.
The NSW star has played seven T20s and two ODIs for Australia since debuting in 2016 as a 17-year-old, however she has been cruelled recently by injury. She missed this year's 50-over World Cup due to shoulder surgery.
