Usman Khawaja will face a fitness test later this week which will determine his chances of returning to the Test arena on Boxing Day.

The 28-year-old was due to return from a hamstring injury in Thursday night’s opening Big Bash League match for the Sydney Thunder.

However Cricket Australia medical staff have ruled him out of the clash against cross-city rivals the Sixers.

• Usman Khawaja could open in Melbourne
• Jackson Bird bewildered by lack of Test chance
• Will anyone turn up to the Boxing Day Test?
• Why the pink ball won’t save Test cricket

Khawaja will now need to prove his fitness before Sunday’s clash with the Melbourne Stars, which also acts as his only remaining fixture before the Boxing Day Test against the West Indies at the MCG.

If he fails to do so, selectors will be spared the difficult decision of trying to slot Khawaja back into the Australian team at the expense of either Joe Burns or Shaun Marsh.

Khawaja was a key member of Australia’s top order against New Zealand, smashing centuries at the Gabba and WACA before being ruled out with the injury.

He has not played since injuring his hamstring in the second Test in Perth.

Khawaja’s Sydney Thunder teammate Shane Watson, who knows all about trying to recover from injury, cautioned against rushing the batsman back.

“There’s still quite a bIt of time before Boxing Day starts so the last thing you want is to try and rush Uz to be fit for the first game of the Big Bash and a chance of increasing the risk of getting injured,” Watson said.

“You can’t hide in Twenty20 cricket, you’ve got to be running between wickets, running in the field, so it’s a higher intensity comeback compared to playing a Test match.”

He had no doubt Khawaja would regain a Test spot for the Boxing Day Test provided he was passed fit.

“He got two hundreds in the first two Test matches and batted beautifully and New Zealand have got a world class bowling attack too, so I wouldn’t see any reasons why he wouldn’t come in,” Watson said.

Australian captain Steve Smith is also battling a knee injury in the lead up to the MCG Test, and has been ruled out of the Sixers’ opening two BBL matches.

He is expected to be fit for the Boxing Day Test.

-AAP