“He has not fully recovered as yet and will be reviewed over the next week”

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

Australia left-arm pace bowler Mitchell Johnson may not be able to represent the Kings XI Punjab for the entire Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) after sustaining a rib injury.

Johnson suffered the injury during the recently concluded ODI tri-series against Zimbabwe and South Africa.

“Mitch had some rib pain during the recent ODI tour of Zimbabwe. Since returning to Australia, he has had some scans that have confirmed some irritation of the tip of the rib,” Cricket Australia physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said. “He has had a break from bowling since returning to Australia and is having regular treatment to resolve the problem. He has not fully recovered as yet and will be reviewed over the next week.”

Cricket Australia’s executive general manager of team performance, Pat Howard, added: “A decision on his release to play for the Kings XI will depend on how he responds to treatment.”

Kings XI Punjab head coach Sanjay Bangar is hoping Johnson will be available towards the latter part of the tournament. However, he also noted that the team can cope without the Australian pace demon.

“Whether he is available or not, we still have a group of individuals who are capable of executing the role that is given to them,” Bangar said. “It will be good if he is available, but we are ready to cope with the eventuality of his non-availability.”