Fast bowler Atkinson Compounds England's Fitness Concerns.

The pace bowler increased the fitness woes of the England squad when he left the ground during Saturday's play of the fourth Ashes Test in the Ashes series.

The right-arm seamer felt a problem in his hamstring immediately following a delivery in his spell during the morning session.

Team management indicated Atkinson reported "discomfort" and would spend time on the sidelines in order to be assessed "during the day".

The concluding match in this Ashes battle in Sydney gets underway at the end of the week.

The visitors have been without fast bowlers one seamer to a knee injury and another paceman to a side strain on the current trip.

A replacement bowler was added to the party to provide backup.

The seamer had a tough time early in the series, taking just three wickets.

He was dropped from the previous Test, only to be brought back for the Melbourne Test in the playing XI.

Surrey's Atkinson performed better in the fourth Test, taking two wickets with the ball, and scoring 28 runs as a batsman being one of only three England players who passed ten runs.

After bowling one over in Australia's second innings, he returned the next day and dismissed the nightwatchman taken by the wicketkeeper.

Unfortunately, towards the conclusion of the fifth over, he bowled a change of pace to the batsman and immediately felt his left hamstring.