Captain Michael Clarke has been ruled out of Australia’s second Champions Trophy pool game against New Zealand in Birmingham on Wednesday.

Clarke is still in London receiving ongoing treatment from a specialist for his chronic back problem which has flared up again since arriving in the UK.

The skipper is highly unlikely to play in the Champions Trophy as Australia fight to get Clarke right for the first Ashes Test at Trent Bridge on July 10.

Word out of the Australian camp is that progress is slow for Clarke.