Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath has been ruled out of the fifth Orange Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) with a strain to his left side.

Western Australian fast bowler Brad Williams has been drafted into the squad as cover.

McGrath suffered the injury during the fourth day of the fourth Orange Test in Melbourne on Sunday (29 December) and was unable to take the field after tea.

Australian team physiotherapist Errol Alcott said: "Glenn has suffered a left side strain to his "grunt" muscle.

"It is a soft tissue injury and we are confident it will resolve over the short term but in the meantime I felt it was prudent for him to miss this next Test match."

McGrath's fitness will be reviewed at the end of the fifth Orange Test match with a view to his availability for the resumption of the VB Series on 9 January, when Australia takes on Sri Lanka in Sydney.

Glenn McGrath said: "I'm pretty disappointed at missing this Test as to play any match for Australia is a huge honour.

"I knew I was a chance of not playing but once you find out you won't play it hits you harder than you realise.

"I guess it's a question of looking at the bigger picture as I did something similar in 1992, played on with it, and reckon I was eventually sidelined for three or four months.

"It's now a case of getting things right for the rest of the summer as we've plenty of cricket left to play."

The injury ends McGrath's run of consecutive Tests at 54, a run that stretches back to the first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi in October 1998.

McGrath added: "I've always prided myself on my longevity and I would have liked to have played more Tests in a row but the number of successive matches I've managed isn't bad for a fast bowler and to play one match for Australia is a huge honour.

"I won't be out there in Sydney with the other lads physically but I will be there in spirit and I'll probably be around the ground every day in any case getting treatment.

"It would have been nice to play and try to end the series in style but you have to look at the team perspective and not your own."

Williams' call-up marks the third time the Western Australian paceman has been drafted into the senior squad.

He was twelfth man for the Orange Boxing Day Test match against South Africa last summer when he replaced Jason Gillespie, and also took part in the recent Travelex Test tour against Pakistan when Gillespie was sidelined with a calf injury.

Williams, already in Melbourne with Australia A for its match against the Sri Lankans on 1 January, will link up with the senior squad on Tuesday.

His place in the Australia A squad for the matches against the Sri Lankans on 1 January and 7 January (in Adelaide) will be taken by New South Wales left-arm fast bowler Nathan Bracken.

If Williams is not required for Australia duty in Sydney, it is expected he will return to Perth to take part in Western Australia's Pura Cup match against Queensland starting at the WACA Ground on 4 January.

The fifth Orange Test match starts on 2 January. Australia leads the series 4-0 after wins in Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne.