Veteran opener David Warner will miss the Boxing Day Test against India as he failed to recover from the groin injury that also ruled him out of the series opener in Adelaide.

Cricket Australia on Wednesday (December 23) confirmed about Warner’s unavailability for the second Test.

The governing body also said Warner and injured paceman Sean Abbott have been excluded from the Australian team's bio-secure bubble in Melbourne as a precautionary measure due to a COVID-19 outbreak in their hometown Sydney.

"While neither player has been in a specific hotspot as outlined by NSW Health, Cricket Australia's bio-security protocols do not allow them to rejoin the squad in time for the Boxing Day Test," it said.

Warner and Abbott departed for Melbourne ahead of schedule on Saturday (December 19) amid concerns over rising Coronvirus cases in Sydney.

But the team's COVID-19 protocols prevented them from joining the squad in time for the Test, and CA stated that Warner would not have recovered from injury in time anyway.

Warner had sustained the injury during the second ODI against India and subsequently he missed the T20I series as well.

Meanwhile, the staging of third Test between Australia and India at the iconic SCG is under dark clouds with the rise in Coronavirus cases in Sydney over the last week.

With the NSW health authorities confirming only 8 new cases following 44,000 tests on Tuesday (December 22), the SCG might retain hosting rights else Melbourne may have to stage back-to-back Tests.

The third Test is scheduled to be played from January 7 to 11.

"I know Cricket Australia's doing everything in their power to have the Test match in Sydney but we'll know more in a couple of days," off-spinner Nathan Lyon told reporters on December 23.

"Fingers crossed it's in Sydney, but more importantly hopefully everyone stays safe and can have a decent Christmas," he added.

(With AFP inputs)