'Don't know where that began': McDonald reply adds intrigue to Hazlewood injury status ahead of Gabba Test

Australian coach Andrew McDonald has squashed suggestions Josh Hazlewood would miss the entire Ashes series and is confident the big quick will feature at some stage.

Hazlewood was ruled out of the first Test with a hamstring injury and will be unavailable in Brisbane as well, but reports emerged on Monday that the injury was "worse than first thought" and that he was in doubt to face England at all.

SEN's Tom Morris first reported the Hazlewood news before McDonald was asked to confirm the story hours later.

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But Australia's coach did quite the opposite, giving a positive update on Hazlewood's fitness.

"I don't know where that speculation began, but he's working through the first week of his rehab," the coach said of the 34-year-old.

"Once he gets further down the track and we start to have some rough timelines, then we'll be in a position to communicate that.

"I know that he'll be available at some point during the series and once again we're not going to put our medical team into a scenario where we identify a game.

"We've got a little bit of that early rehab to go through to formulate where he might plug into the series, but we expect him to take some part in the series."

It would have been a massive blow to Australia's campaign if Hazlewood missed the entire series, despite the performance of Brendan Doggett in his Test debut.

Australia are also waiting to learn if captain Pat Cummins will be fit for the second Test.

Cummins was replaced by Scott Boland in Perth, but in promising signs the skipper was seen bowling during a nets session in the lead-up to the match.

"It's feeling good," Cummins told Fox Cricket during the first Test.

"I had a couple of good sessions in Perth this week, so having a big day where I'd bowl around 10 overs then a couple of quieter days and then going again.

"It's on track and pulling up pretty well. Half a chance for the next game."

McDonald echoed those sentiments and believes the captain is a chance of playing.

"It will be a genuine discussion leading into (the Brisbane) Test match, and that may be one that eventuates late for us," the coach said.

"A little bit to work through, but it's nearing completion, which is really really positive."

Australian great Mark Waugh urged selectors and Cummins to err on the side of caution.

"He's got to be pretty much 100 per cent to be playing," he said on Fox Cricket.

"It's still a long summer. It's a five-Test series, not three. You rush him back, he pulls up sore and he doesn't play the last three Tests. What's the point of that?

"You've just got to be smart ... he'll make the decision. He knows what he needs."