Seamer Atkinson Adds to England's Fitness Worries.

The English seamer further complicated the injury concerns plaguing England when he left the playing area on the second morning in the Melbourne Test versus the Australians.

The pace bowler pulled up with his hamstring immediately following a delivery that he bowled on Saturday.

The England team stated Atkinson felt some "soreness" and required time away from the action for further assessment "over the next few hours".

The final Test of the series in Sydney begins at the end of the week.

The English side has previously lost fast bowlers one seamer to a knee injury and another paceman with an abdominal strain on this Ashes tour.

Matthew Fisher was added to the party as cover for Wood.

Atkinson struggled in the opening two Tests, taking just a handful of scalps.

He was omitted for the Adelaide match, only to be brought back for the Boxing Day match as Archer's replacement.

Surrey's Atkinson showed better form in Melbourne, taking two wickets with the ball, then making 28 as a batsman as one of just three England players who passed ten runs.

Post a single over late on the first day, he came back on Saturday morning and dismissed the nightwatchman Scott Boland caught behind.

Yet, at the end of the fifth over, he sent down a variation to the batsman and suddenly grabbed his left hamstring.