England's injury farce - which long since left the realm of tragedy - has now claimed Craig White after it was revealed that he has again torn a rib muscle. The injury that now puts his World Cup trip in serious jeopardy struck on the opening day of the fourth Test at the MCG. He could be out of action for nearly six weeks.

White, a certainty to make the final World Cup squad, fought through the pain to make an unbeaten 85 on another disastrous Ashes day for England. A similar injury sidelined him for nearly two months midway through the last English summer. He is almost certainly out of the final Test starting at Sydney on January 2.

"I stiffened up during the opening day and just after tea I bowled a bouncer to Damien Martyn and felt a burning sensation in my side," said White. "I don't know if I'll be able to bowl again this match - it's probably like asking a batter to bat with a broken thumb.

"It's pretty sore at the minute and it's the main bowling muscle so I think I'll be struggling. Sydney is very doubtful, and if I'm not bowling I don't think I'll be playing.

"It was nice to get some runs and obviously it would have been nice to get 100 but if someone had said I would have got that at the start of the day I would have taken it."

White declared that the conditions and the pitch were good for batting and conceded England have their work cut out trying to make Australia bat again. They still need another 170 runs to clear the deficit.

"Before the one-dayers I was struggling for form but I spent a lot of time at the crease in the one-dayers and that's all you need just to click back into place," White pointed out. "I don't need to prove myself to anyone, I just enjoy playing cricket and enjoy playing for England.

"I've been bowling now for the last three months and the ball was coming out okay before it went yesterday," he added. "Obviously, I've got to speak to a few people about it, but the World Cup is my main aim and it will be touch and go to play in it. Normally this injury takes six to seven weeks to get right."

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