Cricket Australia has received advice paceman Mitchell Johnson will require surgery and is likely to be sidelined for the entire 2011/12 cricket season.
Johnson will travel to Melbourne on Wednesday to have his left big toe further assessed by a surgical team and CA doctor Trefor James.
If they confirm that surgery is required, Johnson will be operated on in the next 24 hours and miss four to five months of cricket.
"Mitchell ... will most likely need surgery, which is expected to keep him out of cricket for four to five months,'' said team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris.
"The program for his recovery will be assessed following any surgery.''
