Australia's fast bowlers' terrible run of injuries has continued with Mitchell Starc ruled out for a "prolonged period" with a back stress fractrure.

Less than three months before the start of another Ashes series with England, Cricket Australia chief medical officer Justin Paoloni provided an injury update on Starc and fellow paceman Jackson Bird.

"Mitch Starc had scans following his arrival back to Australia and they have shown an early stage low back stress fracture," Dr Paoloni said in a statement.

"His management plan will be determined in the coming days but he is expected to be unavailable for a prolonged period."

Bird played in the fourth Test at Durham in the recent Ashes series, before being sent home with a suspected back injury.

"Jackson returned home from the Tour of England with some lower back soreness," Dr Paoloni said.

"We have ruled out a major injury but will review scans in two weeks to confirm this. We expect that he will be available during the Ashes (in Australia)."

Another Australian quick, James Pattinson, was ruled out of the last three Ashes Tests in England, with scans subsequently showing a stress fracture of the back.

CA has previously said that it hopes Pattinson is available for the return Ashes series starting in November.

But a fourth fast bowler, Pat Cummins, will miss most of the 2013/14 season after a recurrence of a lower back stress injury.

Cummins had been out for nine months with a back injury, then he was back in action for Australia A's tour of Africa.

However he returned to Australia in August with back soreness, and scans showed the problem had returned.

"While it's a disappointing result for Mitch, we know he will bounce back. Starc, James Pattinson and Pat Cummins are all under 24 years of age and we are certainly well aware that until fast bowlers get into their mid-20s they are more susceptible to injury," CA general manager of team performance Pat Howard said on Monday.

"Historically, we've rarely seen three such promising young fast bowlers come through at the same time and all of a similar age so when they get injured of course that will be disappointing.

"We're doing our best to minimise longer term injuries, but we are also realistic that such injuries are possible."

Mercurial Johnson teases selectors with fiery one-day spell

Injuries have opened the door to a possible Test return for Mitchell Johnson. ( Getty Images: Paul Kane )

Mercurial paceman Mitchell Johnson, who has admitted to under-performing in two different Test series' against England, could be in line for another shot at Ashes redemption if he keeps taking wickets, according to Australia captain Michael Clarke.

Ill-suited to English conditions, the 31-year-old was overlooked for the recent Ashes, which England won 3-0, but gave a timely reminder of his pedigree on Sunday in Australia's emphatic one-day international win over the hosts.

Johnson has thrilled and frustrated Australian cricket fans throughout a roller-coaster career of 51 tests and 126 ODIs, but nipped and swung the new ball around savagely in Manchester to capture two wickets and concede only 36 runs in a venomous 10-over spell that helped Australia seal an 88-run victory.

The rising delivery that had Jonathon Trott caught behind for a first-ball duck was virtually unplayable and may give Australia's selectors food for thought as an injury sweeps through the Australian bowling stables.

"He bowled really well," Clarke, man-of-the-match after scoring a splendid century, told reporters.

"He's bowling a good pace and he swung the new ball so they're positive signs for not only Mitch but also Australian cricket going forward, that's for sure.

"I think if Mitch continues to bowl the way he's bowling, there's no doubt he wants to be a part of all three forms of the game.

"And all you can do is perform, as a bowler take wickets and if you're a batter score runs, and the selectors will certainly have to think about it."

A left-armer who thrives on confidence and crumbles in its absence, Johnson was named the ICC's Cricketer of the Year in 2009, after dominant series' against South Africa both at home and away.

However, Johnson also endured a meltdown during Australia's 2-1 series loss to England that year.

He struggled for line and length, particularly at the Lord's test, and was demoted to first-change during the series - copping plenty of abuse from a raucous Barmy Army in the process.

In the following 2010-11 series back home, Johnson was dropped after being caned by England's batsmen in the opening test in Brisbane but was recalled for the third test in Perth, where he dazzled with a 10-wicket man-of-the-match performance on his favoured WACA pitch.

Johnson struggled for the remainder of the lost 3-1 series and later admitted publicly that taunts from England fans throughout both series' had affected his form and confidence.

If Johnson is handed another baggy green, local fans will pray for a reprisal of the bowler who took six wickets and broke the fingers of two Sri Lanka batsmen in Melbourne last year.

While Johnson could pad Australia's pace bowling stocks, Australia's spin bowling is still a work in progress, as seen by Fawad Ahmed's struggles in his ODI debut in Manchester.

ABC/Reuters