Pat Cummins could miss Champions Trophy – Who will lead Australia?

Australia's hopes of having their star pacers, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, fit for the upcoming Champions Trophy have suffered major setbacks, with both players facing injury concerns.

Cummins, who is recovering from an ankle injury that worsened after the team's Test series win over India, is "heavily unlikely" to participate in the tournament, according to Australian head coach Andrew McDonald.

"Pat Cummins hasn't been able to resume any type of bowling, so he's heavily unlikely," McDonald said on Australian radio station SEN. "That puts us in a position where we need to look at a new captain, and we've been speaking to Steve Smith and Travis Head about the role as we build the Champions Trophy squad."

Hazlewood, who missed the latter part of the India Test series and the Sri Lanka tour due to side and calf injuries, is also battling to regain full fitness. McDonald stated that Hazlewood's availability will depend on his medical assessments in the coming days.

The Australian team has already been dealt another blow with all-rounder Mitchell Marsh ruled out of the Champions Trophy due to a back injury.

The tournament will start on February 19 and will be co-hosted by Pakistan and the UAE.

In the meantime, young batter Sam Konstas has been released from the squad ahead of the second Test against Sri Lanka. The 19-year-old will return home to play in New South Wales' Sheffield Shield match against Queensland. Konstas was dropped for the first Test in Galle, with Travis Head stepping up to score 57 in Australia's dominant victory.

A team spokesperson confirmed that Konstas would gain further experience by playing in Brisbane before returning to the Test squad for the World Test Championship final in June.