Watson would have played far more than eight Tests without injury woes

Australia all-rounder Shane Watson will not be sent home from the Ashes tour after medical staff diagnosed his thigh injury was a "low-grade" strain.

The 28-year-old, who has had bad luck with injuries through his career, missed the four-day tour game against Sussex at Hove starting on Wednesday.

The Aussie camp said there would be no need to send for a replacement.

"His return to play will be guided by progress made in the next few days," said physio Alex Kountouris.

Watson will struggle to be 100% fit for the opening Ashes Test in Cardiff from 8 July but Kountouris was reasonably optimistic.

"He has suffered a low-grade strain of one of his quadriceps muscles. We expect this injury should resolve fairly quickly."

Captain Ricky Ponting, dismissed for eight by England Twenty20 specialist Luke Wright at Hove, said: "For Shane it's obviously a setback. He's disappointed that he wasn't available for selection in this game.

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"I don't know if it harms his chances even more for the first Test match but there's an opportunity that's slipped out of his grasp over the next four days.

"Hopefully within a couple of days he's right to start back up and work up on his bowling again."

Various injury problems have severely limited Watson's international career.

He has had just eight Test appearances, having missed out on the 2006-07 Ashes series - initially with a hamstring problem - and most recently suffering stress fractures in his back which were diagnosed during last year's Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.

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