• Source:JND
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New Zealand have suffered a major setback ahead of their home summer as injuries have ruled Will O'Rourke, Glenn Phillips and Finn Allen out of next month's Chappell-Hadlee Trophy T20I series against Australia at Bay Oval.

In an unfortunate turn of events, O'Rourke, the star pacer, has sustained a stress fracture in his lower back and has been sidelined for at least three months. The 24-year-old picked up the injury during the first Test against Zimbabwe earlier this month. He has since returned home and will now undergo a strength and conditioning programme before being reassessed.

"We're really feeling for Will at the moment and wishing him a speedy recovery," head coach Rob Walter said. "He's had such an impressive start to his career, and so naturally it is disappointing when an injury like this comes along, but he's a resilient guy and determined to put the work in and come back stronger."

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As a result, O'Rourke is expected to miss so much of white-ball action, including tours by Australia (October 1-4), England (October 18 - November 1) and the West Indies (November 5-22).

On the other hand, Phillips will continue his rehabilitation from a groin injury that kept him out of the Bangladesh series. He will be reassessed in a month's time. Allen is set for a longer layoff after surgery on his right foot, ruling him out for three months.

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New Zealand's white-ball skipper, Mitchell Santner, is also going through an injury scare, having experienced groin pain while playing in The Hundred and has since returned home. The left-arm spinner will undergo abdominal surgery with a recovery period of around one month.

"Mitch is a world-class player and a crucial part of our T20 side from a skills and leadership point of view," Walter said. "With that in mind, we expect to name him in our squad when we announce it in a couple of weeks' time, and from there we can assess how his rest and rehabilitation progress following surgery, before making a call on the eve of the series."

Head coach Walter went on to mention that the unavailability of Phillips and Allen was a setback. "It's disappointing to lose the services of Glenn and Finn, who have played important batting roles in our T20 set-up in recent times. Like in Zimbabwe, their unavailability will present opportunities for others to put their hands up in what's going to be a hugely exciting and important series against Australia."

Ben Sears cleared to return after a side strain. The 26-year-old is expected to be available for the start of the home season.