Healy unsure if she'll face India, with Ashes key

Alyssa Healy expects to learn in the next 10 days if she will be fit to face India, with Australia’s captain ready to prioritise her availability for the Ashes above all else.

Healy was on Saturday night ruled out of the remainder of the WBBL, after a minor knee niggle suffered in a game earlier this month intensified.

The 34-year-old was initially rested for one game after the injury and taken out of wicketkeeping in another, before being put on ice at the Sydney Sixers.

Healy said her left knee was “really angry”, with the veteran now in a race against the clock to be fit to face India in the first of three ODIs on December 5.

Australia also have a three-match ODI series in New Zealand late next month, before the multi-format Ashes series begins in Sydney on January 11.

“There’s a bit going on in there,” Healy said of her knee.

“We’ll know more in the next 10 days, to see how it responds to everything that we’re trying to do, and then we’ll probably make a plan for then.

“The reality is the Ashes is really important, and there’s obviously a Test match in there as well, so the word ‘workload management’ keeps jumping up.

“But we’ll just manage it week by week and see what I can and can’t do, and move from there.”

Healy conceded it was possible she could be managed through parts of the India and New Zealand series if it gave her a greater chance of being fit for the Ashes.

The injuries have come at a frustrating time for Healy, ahead of the historic MCG Test against England to round out the summer.

She sat out this year’s Hundred tournament in England, and was ruled out of the end of the T20 World Cup with a foot injury.

The opener has then had a frustrating WBBL campaign, spending only 22 balls at the crease across her four matches.

That prompted Healy to play as a batter only against Brisbane last week, before the call was made to withdraw her from the end of the WBBL.

Healy said she had not experienced any serious pain while batting, with the main issue relating to an inability to squat properly while keeping.

And while she wants to take the gloves for the Ashes, she has conceded she could instead play as a batter and stand in the field if need be against England.

“I don’t like the idea ... I’d actually rather do my job properly, and that’s keeping,” Healy said.

“If that does happen, we’ve got a pretty handy backup in Beth Mooney in the squad already, so I’m sure we could find a spot if that was completely necessary.

“But obviously at this point in time it’s to be right to keep and bat, and hopefully captain. We’ll just sit and see how that unfolds.”