England face the major problems before the Adelaide Test

Whatever the personnel when the sides are announced prior to the start of the second Ashes Test in Adelaide, Australia will start the match as firm favourites to go two-nil up in the series. England's plans have been thrown into disarray by a succession of injuries, while Australia could put their second eleven on to the field and still be favourites to win. Australia A could not force a win in Hobart in the tourists' last match, but they certainly did nothing to restore England's confidence.

Before dwelling on England's misfortunes, it should be said that Australia themselves are not completely free of injury doubts. Jason Gillespie is still feeling the effects of his calf strain and is being given as long as possible to recover. If he cannot do so, Brett Lee will come back into the side.

Lee has taken 21 wickets for New South Wales since being dropped from the side for the first Test in Brisbane and has recaptured the speed that made him such a fearsome proposition until his recent dip in form. If Gillespie is fit, Lee might have to wait until Perth before regaining his place as he has said himself that his replacement, Andy Bichel, has done a perfectly good job for the side.

England would dearly love to have a problem like that of the Australians. At the start of the tour, captain Nasser Hussain said that his side stood a chance of regaining the Ashes provided fortune smiled and he could call on a full complement of fit players. The decimation of the party and their dream began before they left England. That was when Graham Thorpe dropped out of the original selection to be replaced by Robert Key.

A damaging blow, but at least Key was fit and raring to go. The same could not be said for the rest of the party. Darren Gough (knee), Michael Vaughan (knee), Mark Butcher (knee), Andrew Flintoff (hernia), and Simon Jones (rib) were all travelling with injuries of varying degrees of seriousness to overcome.

Vaughan and Butcher came through without further mishap. Gough never took the field before returning home to seek further career-saving medical help. Flintoff has simply failed to get over his hernia operation as expected and is now said to be out until the fourth Test. There was no problem about Jones' rib, but then he suffered that horrendous knee injury on day one at Brisbane and is out for the rest of the tour and into the foreseeable future.

Add to that casualty list the shoulder scare concerning Marcus Trescothick, the shin splints suffered by Steve Harmison, and a bout of concussion, the bruised hip that makes John Crawley doubtful for Adelaide, and the fractured wrist sustained by Ashley Giles, and it is no wonder that the England dressing room resembles a casualty clearing station. Of the 16 names announced by the selectors on 10th September, only six have not featured in medical bulletins.

That is all history. What matters now is that England manage to restore some pride and make the most of what they have available. Whatever the result, a battling performance in which team and individuals do themselves justice would go a long way towards bolstering credibility. And a little bit of luck would not go amiss.

As for the Australians, they must be really worried. Consider the dilemma that is occupying them even once they get the Gillespie situation sorted out. How do they resolve the problem of getting Martin Love - the man who averages 451 in two innings against the tourists - into the Test side. No wonder their selectors have furrowed brows.