Melbourne, Jan 13 : Foot injury to Australian fast bowler Clint Mckay will keep him out of the game for at least 10 weeks, which means he will miss the World Cup.

Mckay is third in Australia''s one-day wicket tally over the past year, having taken 27 wickets at an average of 19.59. The top wicket-taker, Ryan Harris, will also miss the World Cup with a stress fracture in his foot that emerged during the Boxing Day Test.

The foot soreness Mckay felt during Victoria’s Big Bash win over Queensland on January 3 has been revealed as a stress fracture of the navicular bone in his left foot.

Medical staff decided the moon boot Mckay has been wearing to aid healing is not sufficient and instead he will have surgery next week, ruling him out for at least 10 weeks, The Age reports.

Victorian team physiotherapist Thihan Chandramohan said surgery was the “conservative option” but believed it was the right one for Mckay.

“[A navicular fracture] can be serious, especially if you try and play with them when you’re sore. It’s one of the major reasons we’re trying to fix it before it gets worse,” he said.

“Obviously his workload over the past two years has been a lot higher – he’s played for Australia, he’s played some cricket in England as well - but he’s been good considering the workload he’s had.”

Chandramohan said the likely recovery period would become much clearer once Mckay was operated on next week, The Age reports.

A best-case recovery could have Mckay ready to go for the start of the Indian Premier League season in early April. (ANI)