Cricket: Aussies not rushing Lee

Australian coach Tim Nielsen says speedster Brett Lee isn't going to be rushed back for the third Ashes test if he hasn't fully recovered from his side strain.

The tourists are keen to have Lee at their disposal for next week's clash in Birmingham after going down 1-0 in the five-match series at Lord's this week.

The problem is if Lee aggravates the injury, his Ashes campaign is over.

Side strain is a common problem for fast bowlers and Nielsen expected the team's medical staff to know soon if Lee could play the three-day practice match against Northampton starting on Saturday (NZT).

"We'll see how we go," Nielsen said.

"In a tour game we have a bit more flexibility in how much we can bowl him. He hasn't bowled yet.

"Medical staff over next couple of days [will have a look] and [see] how much we need to get into him and how much it's progressing, and whether he could play the third test.

"If it's not going to mean he can play in the third test, we'll have to be really careful about rushing him back."

Nielsen said if Lee missed the match with Northamptonshire it would make it tough to pick him for Edgbaston.

"We're lucky we have eight or nine days before the test, so we can build him. He's not a 21-year kid, he's a 32-year old bloke who knows as well as anybody how he's going."

Lee has not played a test since the Boxing Day clash against South Africa but looked to be hitting his straps again when he suffered this latest setback a fortnight ago.

Nielsen confirmed that misfiring quick Mitchell Johnson would play in Northampton and Shane Watson is set to play his first match of the tour following a niggling knee injury.

- AAP