'Desperate' Overton not ruling himself out

England paceman Craig Overton is refusing to rule himself out of the fourth Magellan Ashes Test in Melbourne, but admits it's unlikely he will take the field on Boxing Day after suffering a hairline fracture to a rib.

Overton injured his rib while diving in the field at the WACA Ground during the third Test, which Australia won by an innings and 41 runs to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.

And while Overton says he is "desperate" to be part of the Boxing Day Test, he revealed it would be a risky move.

"I am nursing a hairline fracture to my rib but the doctor warned me it could become much worse if I landed the wrong way -- a proper fracture, or even a punctured lung. No one needs that," Overton said in The Times on Tuesday.

"I've been brought up to fight through the pain, and I'm not the sort to leave the field for nothing."

Somerset seamer Overton enjoyed a dream start to his Test career when he picked up the wicket of Australian captain Steve Smith in the second test in Adelaide.

With six wickets to his name in his two tests and an impressive 41 not out with the bat in Adelaide, Overton was one of the few England players to emerge with much credit.

"I won't rule myself out of Melbourne," he said. "I accept it's unlikely, but I'm so desperate to play that I won't accept I'm not going to until the doctors tell me absolutely otherwise.

"I'll be weaning myself off the strong painkillers, just a few paracetamol to help me sleep.

"And no golf! It'll be beach time for me."

Overton said England had simply not been good enough in the Ashes series to date, but he insisted the chastened tourists would throw everything at the last two Tests to avoid a whitewash.

All England have left to play for is pride in Melbourne and Sydney, but Overton said the series was not over as they try to halt an eight-match losing sequence in Tests in Australia.

"We have not been good enough for long enough in this series and have let chances slip, and because of that we have lost the Ashes before Christmas," he said.

"We are gutted but don't for a second think that there will be divisions in the camp or that we see the series as over.

"We will be throwing everything we have at the Melbourne and Sydney Tests -- we are desperate to make a mark on the series, even if it's too late to win.

"We will fight until the very last to do so."

2017-18 International Fixtures

Magellan Ashes Series

Australia Test squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird.

England Test squad: Joe Root (c), James Anderson (vc), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Gary Ballance, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Mason Crane, Tom Curran, Ben Foakes, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ben Stokes, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Chris Woakes.

First Test Australia won by 10 wickets. Scorecard

Second Test Australia won by 120 runs (Day-Night). Scorecard

Third Test Australia won by an innings and 41 runs. Scorecard

Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Tickets

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Tickets

Gillette ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Tickets

Fifth ODI Perth Stadium, January 28. Tickets

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Tickets

Gillette T20 trans-Tasman Tri-Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 14

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21