Warner will need jabs to finish series

David Warner will require multiple injections to grimace his way through what shapes as a summer of Ashes agony.

David Warner reacts after being dismissed in the 90s on day one. Picture: AFP.

David Warner will require multiple injections to grimace his way through what shapes as a summer of Ashes agony, with the brave opening batsman’s nasty rib injury unlikely to heal until the series has finished.

It can be revealed that Warner has sustained significant damage to the cartilage between the ribs, causing him pain with every breath he takes.

The 35-year-old was administered a long-lasting local anaesthetic injection in the nerve before batting at Adelaide Oval on Thursday and wore a padded guard protecting the spot where he was struck by a Ben Stokes delivery in Brisbane.

It is understood that Warner will require jabs to box on at the MCG next week and could be prescribed chemical treatment before every innings for the rest of the five-Test series.

While X-rays cleared Warner of broken ribs at the Gabba, a CT scan would’ve been required to diagnose the cartilage injury.

It takes eight to 10 weeks to recover from cracked cartilage, while bruising is in the range of four to eight weeks.

Injections come with the slight risk of puncturing a lung, which happened to St Kilda footballer Jake Carlisle before a training session in 2018.

The severity of the injury only adds to Warner’s warrior-like reputation, with his gutsy knock of 95 now coated in even more courage.

Incredibly, Warner said on Friday that the rib injury helped steel his concentration as he absorbed England’s negative tactics to post the third-slowest half-century of his career.

“They were very sore. I won’t lie about that,” he said. “Having that patience, I think it sort of helped me having that sort of injury.”

David Warner bats in discomfort on day one. Picture: Getty Images.

Warner scored just one run from his first 35 deliveries and was devastated that he smoked a loose ball straight to Stuart Broad just short of what would’ve been the grittiest of centuries.

Warner would’ve been in extreme pain when the injection wore off on Thursday night and likely required strong painkillers and sleeping tablets to get to sleep.

The sharp athlete stands at slip and every dive, stretch and bend will trigger discomfort as his rib cartilage stretches.

Warner could even require a jab to get through long days in the field, where his catching is regarded as a crucial weapon for Australia’s attack.

Warner was in such intense pain last week he couldn’t even pick up his children, but he was simply determined not to sit out a Test match for his country.

“I have just been icing and doing as much as I can,” Warner said.

“It doesn’t feel great, but at the end of the day I had a Test match to play and there is a series on the line and I wanted to commit to that.”

Warner’s gutsy effort would’ve resonated with coach Justin Langer, who loves having street fighters in his team.

The tough performance follows Matthew Wade wicketkeeping in the Twenty20 World Cup final with a grade two side strain.

Ricky Ponting believes Warner’s performances at the Gabba and in the first innings in Adelaide are a sign of his growing maturity.

“I spoke to Davey before the game and he said he wasn’t going to miss it,” Ponting told cricket.com.au. “The first thing he said to me was, ‘Mate I missed two games last year and I’m not missing anymore this year’.

“Wind the clock back, it wasn’t that long ago that he missed the whole year of Test cricket. So he’s not going to give that up again.

“He was in some discomfort but the longer he batted, the better he seemed. (Playing through pain) is something you expect from an Australian cricketer.

“His ribs are not broken from what we can understand, he’s got some cartilage damage. He wore a big (chest) pad over it today and probably had a bit of assistance from the doctor. He didn’t go on and get a hundred, which I thought he deserved.”