London: Australia will have to brace for selecting two new openers for next month's Test tour of Bangladesh, with David Warner ruled out for a least a month with a fractured thumb.
Shane Watson's availability for the one-day series, and the Tests in Bangladesh if selected, is also in doubt because of a right-calf soreness that prevented him fielding for most of Saturday's one-dayer at Lord's, the same match in which Warner was injured.
The opener had to retire hurt after facing just one delivery in Saturday's one-dayer against England at Lord's. He was struck on the left thumb by a vicious bouncer from England's Steve Finn, attempted to defend the chest bound delivery. Immediately after he played the delivery, and the ball bobbled over wicketkeeper Jos Buttler, the left-hander wrung his hand, and then removed his glove once he got to the other end. 
Warner was assessed by duty team doctor John Orchard, who is also Cricket Australia's chief medical officer, and left the field without facing another delivery.
About an hour after the incident CA said Warner had been given a painkilling injection in his left thumb in case he needed to bat, but would not field. While it was intended he would come in at the fall of the next wicket the combination of Australia's healthy position and the long wait until that wicket - of George Bailey for 49, to end a 99-run partnership with captain Steve Smith - were seemingly behind the decision to keep Warner in the dressing rooms.
A subsequent X-ray confirmed the blow from Finn had fractured Warner's left thumb. The expectation is he will be sidelined for four to six weeks.
Australia's tour of Bangladesh begins on   October 3 with a three-day tour match in Fattulah, with the first Test to begin on   October 9 in Chittagong. The minimum recovery period would have Warner available for the Test, but the predicted maximum would not.
Even if Warner does prove his fitness the uncertainty means selectors will almost certainly have to take an alternate opener to Bangladesh, or identify a batsman able to fill in until Warner is fit to return. Smith said Australia's selectors have "got to find someone else to potentially fill the role that he won't be able to do".
The 28-year-old, recently appointed as Australia's Test and one-day vice-captain, will travel with the squad from London to Manchester on Sunday but then fly home.
World Cup-winning opener Aaron Finch, who is already in England for county duty with Yorkshire, will join the one-day squad on Sunday as Warner's replacement. Finch was not considered for the tour because of expectations he would not have sufficiently recovered from a foot injury.
Australia were already having to select a new Test opener following the retirement of Chris Rogers after the final Ashes Test. The selection of Joe Burns as opener for the one-day series, despite not having an outstanding one-day domestic record, indicated he was strongly in contention for the role to partner Warner.
Rogers, who has just turned 38, made clear last month that he thought it was the right time for him to retire from international cricket, and would be highly unlikely to consider a return for the Bangladesh tour even if asked.
Given the departures of Rogers and Michael Clarke between the Ashes and Bangladesh tour, Smith said the prospect of also missing Warner for at least part of the tour in Bangladesh had not dampened his enthusiasm for it.
"I'm really looking forward to it to be honest. I can't wait to captain Australia in Test cricket, and hopefully I'll be able to have a few senior players around to lean on," he said.
The only time Warner has been missing from the Australian Test team since his debut in   November 2011 came for the first two Tests of the 2013 Ashes, having been suspended at the start of the tour.
Watson started on the field as Australia began their successful defence of 7-309 but left because of the potential injury, which will be scanned on either Sunday or Monday, once the squad arrived in Manchester ahead of the third match of the series.