Sydney, Nov 30: Cricket Australia says paceman Mitchell Johnson's foot injury may require surgery that would rule him out of the Australian team for up to five months.
Johnson has had a series of medical tests since returning from Australia's tour to South Africa and has been told he needs an operation to repair soft tissue damage around his big toe. He will travel to Melbourne on Wednesday for final assessment by a surgical team and Cricket Australia doctor Trefor James said surgery could follow within 24 hours.
Australian team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said the surgery "is expected to keep him out of cricket for four to five months."
The rehabilitation period would mean Johnson would miss both the New Zealand and Indian tours of Australia this summer.
