SYDNEY, The Australian netball team's centre stocks are being tested, with captain Natalie von Bertouch and Kimberlee Green both hurt and two potential replacements sidelined.
Skipper von Bertouch, who injured an ankle early in Sunday's 68-48 victory over the Silver Ferns in Sydney, didn't travel with the team on Monday as they headed to New Zealand for the second half of the Quad Series.
Von Bertouch, who was hurt in an accident with teammate Bianca Chatfield, will undergo scans on Monday, with coach Lisa Alexander hopeful her captain will rejoin the team on Tuesday.
She may not be available against England in Wellington on Thursday, but Green has definitely been ruled out of the three matches in New Zealand.
Green, who replaced von Bertouch on Sunday before being substituted herself at three-quarter time, has been troubled by an ongoing foot injury.
"She's been battling with it all year and played through quite an amount of pain yesterday and was absolutely courageous," Alexander said of Green.
She said the selectors would wait for the results of von Bertouch's scans before deciding on Tuesday whether to add someone to the squad.
Compounding the injuries to von Bertouch and Green are the unavailability of two potential replacements.
Ashleigh Brazill dropped out of the squad earlier this month when she had to undergo knee surgery.
Elissa Macleod, who was recently invited to train with he Diamonds at a squad camp, is also unavailable due to a knee niggle.