Cameron Green is set to be ruled out of the second Test against South Africa, with Australia eyeing the series finale in Cape Town as the allrounder's likely return date.
Green batted for the first time on Thursday since straining his abdomen a fortnight ago, as Australia began training at St George's Park in Gqeberha.
The 27-year-old faced around 40 minutes of gentle throwdowns before some catching practice and running drills, but Australia are not banking on having him available come Sunday.
Instead, Cape Town on November 27 looms as a more likely return date, with the West Australian also not expected to bowl in that match after an earlier shoulder concern.
In contrast, Josh Inglis faced Scott Boland and Michael Neser in a centre-wicket net session following his own finger fracture last month, after progressing from light batting in Durban.
But even if Inglis is fit, the most likely scenario appears to be that Australia will remain unchanged from the side that won by 214 runs in Durban.
"He'll be hitting over the next week, and he started to get moving last Test," assistant coach Matt Wade said of Green.
"He's around, and maybe more looking for the third Test. But he's starting to get moving, which is probably a positive sign."
Assuming selectors do stick with Nic Maddinson in the side, it will give the tourists the flexibility they have long yearned for in their batting order.
Pat Cummins said earlier this week it would take a "compelling" case to move Matt Renshaw back to open after his scores of 190 and 92 at No.5.
But with Renshaw, Maddinson and Travis Head in the team, Cummins has suggested there could be scenarios where opening pairings change between innings.
That has been cautioned against by former captain Steve Waugh, who insisted this week Australia should "pick and stick" and "stop messing around".
Wade himself was part of Australian batting order reshuffles late in his career, opening for the two Tests at the start of 2020-21 when David Warner was out.
And he believes more of it will come
"Traditionally, openers have opened, but the conditions have changed so much over the last 10 years, especially at domestic level," Wade said.
"We're finding guys are going up and attacking more. Obviously, the way England attack Test cricket was completely different to maybe what we've seen before.
"It's just the evolution of the game, and maybe conditions have dictated guys to go up into that role and attack a little bit more, which means guys shuffle around.
"Where it lands in the next four or five years, no-one knows, but our group's really adaptive to it now. We're happy to take it on."
Wade noted that selectors "don't draw names out of a hat like people may think", with any decision to be conditions-based.
Australia expect a slower wicket in Gqeberha, where they have not won since some Ian Healy heroics 1997 when it was known as Port Elizabeth.