Australia's hopes for the upcoming Champions Trophy have taken a major hit as power-hitter Mitchell Marsh has been ruled out due to a back injury. The injury, which has flared in recent weeks, led Cricket Australia to make the difficult decision to sideline Marsh for a longer rehabilitation period.

"His (Marsh's) lower back pain flared in recent weeks, leading the National Selection Panel (NSP) to make the longer-term decision for Marsh to undergo a more extended period of rehabilitation," Cricket Australia confirmed in a statement.

Marsh, who was the reigning Allan Border Medallist and Australia’s One-Day International Player of the Year in 2024, was a key player and one of the leading options for the captaincy if Pat Cummins was unavailable due to his ankle injury.

The selectors are now in search of a replacement for Marsh, with the deadline for finding a squad replacement set for Wednesday, February 12.

This injury setback follows a series of challenges for Marsh, including being dropped from the Test team before the Boxing Day Test against India. Marsh's injury now adds to Australia’s injury woes, with Cummins racing against the clock to recover from his ankle issue and Marcus Stoinis also dealing with a hamstring injury sustained while playing in South Africa's Twenty20 competition.

In his most recent outing, Marsh scored an unbeaten 55 off 40 balls for the Durban Super Giants against Paarl. However, he later left the field after feeling discomfort in his hamstring. The captain of DSG, Keshav Maharaj, commented on the situation, saying, "He just felt something in his hamstring. I don’t think it was too serious, but the logical thing to do as a fast bowler is to go off the field. The medical staff will assess and communicate with Cricket Australia."

Australia will be looking to fill the gap left by Marsh as they head into the tournament with a more limited squad.