McGain to go under knife

Bryce McGain will have surgery on his injured armpit

Buy this photo

Australia leg-spinner Bryce McGain will undergo shoulder surgery on Saturday to repair tendon damage.

McGain initially injured his shoulder during an Australia A match and further aggravated it while on tour in India with the senior squad.

He returned to Melbourne for treatment and tests this week revealed surgery is required to correct the problem.

McGain said the news was disappointing but he remained optimistic.

"No one likes to be sidelined and this injury under my armpit has come at a particularly bad time," he said.

"Hopefully the fitness work I've done during the pre-season will stand me in good stead in terms of my recovery and allow me to get stuck into my rehab and back in the nets as soon as possible.

"There's no question this is a setback, but I've bounced back from a few of these before and am confident this treatment will allow me to return as strong as ever."

The 36-year-old had been hoping to earn his first Test cap in India before injury forced his return to Australia.