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Melbourne: Australia's fast bowling stock has taken another significant blow before next month's World Cup in the subcontinent with paceman Clint Mckay being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left foot.
With injury to 27-year-old Mckay, the current world No 1 side in ODIs will now go to the World Cup without two of its top three wicket-takers for the past year with other being Ryan Harris, who is nursing a stress fracture in his foot that emerged during the Boxing Day Test.
The foot soreness McKay felt during Victoria's Big Bash win over Queensland on January 3 has been revealed as a stress fracture of the navicular bone in his left foot.
Medical staff decided the moon boot Mckay has been wearing to aid healing is not sufficient and instead he will have surgery next week, ruling him out for at least 10 weeks, the 'Sydney Morning Herald' reported.
Mckay is third in Australia's one-day wicket takers over the past year, having taken 27 wickets at an average of 19.59.
Mckay claimed 5-54 in Australia's last match in November against Sri Lanka. Australia's other paceman Mitchell Starc, who is in the preliminary 30-man squad for the World Cup, has a side strain that has already kept him out for two months.
Victorian team physiotherapist Thihan Chandramohan said surgery was the "conservative option" but believed it was the right one for Mckay.
He said Mckay could be match fit for the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League starting early April. He was bought by Mumbai Indians for $111,000.
