Melbourne might be optimistic - Giles

England's injured left-arm spinner Ashley Giles has arrived back home to receive treatment to the broken wrist he sustained during net practice in Australia. It was while preparing for the second Test in Adelaide on Tuesday that he was struck on his left arm by teammate Steve Harmison and an x-ray revealed a fracture of his left wrist.

Initially it was thought that Giles would be fit to take his place in the side for the fourth Test starting on Boxing Day in Melbourne. However, in line with other prognoses on this injury-laden tour, it now appears that he might miss the rest of the tour.

It was the original intention that he should return to Australia in three week's time in order to start preparing for the Melbourne Test, but with the fracture on the point of his left wrist that is such an integral part of his bowling action, that time-scale might prove to be optimistic.

"It will probably be longer than three weeks," he said. "I will be working hard as soon as I get back. I have got to do what I can but it is a broken bone and there is only so much that can be done to heal a bone and it will take time."

Giles used not to enjoy facing the quicks on anything other than a very true net surface, but he accepts that it is necessary to put in the practice before matches.

"We have to practice hard. We have to try to replicate what will happen in a game situation. "It has gone the wrong way for me but I can't blame Steve Harmison or the management. It is just one of those freak things that happens.

"On a bowling front it has been quite disastrous because we have lost basically a whole bowling attack - Simon Jones, Darren Gough, myself and Andy Flintoff. But we have got to persevere and show some character and the lads still out there have got that so let's hope they can do the job in Adelaide."