Pucovski out of Shield game, unlikely for first Test

Will Pucovski has been all but ruled out of featuring in the first Ashes Test after his state coach Chris Rogers confirmed the prodigious young batter will miss Victoria's upcoming Marsh Sheffield Shield match with concussion.

Rogers stressed both Victoria and the national team will prioritise Pucovski's long-term health after he suffered the latest in a string of concussions last month during a training accident.

Having been unable to play in the Vics Shield season opener last week against NSW in Sydney, the 23-year-old will now also miss Friday's return clash at the MCG as he continues to suffer concussion symptoms.

According to Rogers, that means his return for the first Vodafone Test against England is unlikely, though the former Test opener suggested Pucovski could be available later in the series.

The right-hander's setback means incumbent Test opener Marcus Harris and Queensland captain Usman Khawaja are the frontrunners to partner David Warner at the Gabba on December 8.

Victoria are expected to play another Shield match before the KFC BBL break, which Pucovski could be available for.

"He hasn't quite recovered as well as hoped for this game from the concussion," said Rogers, who said Pucovski has not yet resumed batting at training.

"In discussions with the medical team and national selectors, it was felt that we'd give him a bit more time before he's selected to play for Australia.

"All the people in these conversations understand we've got an immense talent on our hands and we want him to be playing in three to five to 10 years. These are the decisions we're going to make in his best interests and hopefully we can set him up to play for a long career.

"No doubt it's a setback – I'd say now it's unlikely he'll play in the first Test. If we do play a third Shield game in mid-November, and there might be a second XI game for Victoria as well, that might prepare him for one of the matches in the middle of the Ashes series.

"That's the best-case scenario at the moment."

Victoria and NSW players picked in an enlarged Ashes squad, members of which are expected to take part in at least one pre-series intra-squad clash, will need to quarantine for two weeks in Queensland and will be unavailable for the third Blues-Vics Shield game before the Ashes.

Harris, who started his Shield season strongly with a knock of 137 against NSW at Drummoyne Oval last week, looks certain to be involved.

So too should Khawaja be in the mix; his form has been equally impressive, scoring back-to-back centuries against South Australia and Tasmania. While those knocks came from the middle order, the 44-Test veteran has opened for Australia before and has insisted he can bat anywhere.

Pucovski, however, will not be among those heading to Queensland for the pre-Ashes camp, according to Rogers.

"No doubt there's a lot of frustration for him. He wants to be playing," Victoria's coach said of Pucovski, who hasn't played any cricket since his Test debut against India in January.

"It's an interesting one, he hasn't played for seven months so to walk straight back into the cauldron and have to perform against very good opposition, that's going to be really difficult.

"That would have been playing on his mind as well.

"I think the decision is to look after him and give him a bit more time to prepare him in the right way rather than rush him into matches that are going to have a lot of intensity and a lot of scrutiny.

"He's still so young and there's so much time left in in the game for him so there's no need to rush him back into a Test series, when he hasn't even played professional cricket in seven months."

Vodafone Men's Ashes v England

First Test: December 8-12, The Gabba

Second Test: December 16-20, Adelaide Oval

Third Test: December 26-30, MCG

Fourth Test: January 5-9, SCG

Fifth Test: January 14-18, Perth Stadium