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No timeline has been set for the return of WA skipper Mitch Marsh, who does not need surgery on his injured ankle but will be in a moon boot for several weeks.
Allrounder Mitch Marsh will return as a batter-only once he recovers from his ankle injury but it remains to be seen whether he will be fit for the start of the BBL season.
Marsh suffered a syndesmosis injury to his right ankle while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League last month.
Although the injury will not require surgery, Marsh will be in a moon boot for the next few weeks and a return-to-play date is yet to be set.
The 28-year-old faces a race against time to be fit for the start of the BBL season, which is due to get underway in early December.
When Marsh does return it is likely to be as a batter-only until he can further build up his fitness.
"You'd think Mitch returns as a batter to begin with," Western Australia coach Adam Voges said.
"Then depending on what format of the game it is, it may dictate how long it is before he returns to the bowling crease."
Marsh had set himself up for a big summer after working his way back into Australia's Test, ODI and T20 squads.
The injury setback means the WA skipper will now need to build a solid case for selection all over again.
"He did a mountain of work during the pre-season," Voges said.
"He was back in the Australian team and played a key role over in England in the white-ball tour. It's not great timing.
"The good news is he doesn't require surgery and hopefully he'll be back sooner rather than later."
While Marsh's season may be on the back-burner, Voges hopes Ashton Agar will be able to build his own case for a Test recall this summer.
Agar starred in WA's season-opening Shield win over South Australia, scoring an unbeaten 114 batting at No.6 and snaring 5-103 in the first innings.
Voges believes Agar has the talent to force his way back into the Test side, but said the four-Test spinner would need more runs under his belt if he wanted to cement a spot at No.6 in the national set-up.
"He probably needs to do a little bit more in first-class cricket first to prove those credentials," Voges said.
"The talent is there to be able to do it. But knowing JL (Australia coach Justin Langer) pretty well, he wants guys in the top six who he thinks can make hundreds at Test level."
WA will receive a stern test when they take on a star-studded NSW outfit featuring Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon in Adelaide, starting on Monday.
