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The English seamer increased the injury concerns plaguing England upon exiting the field on the second morning in the Melbourne Test against Australia.

The pace bowler experienced discomfort in his left leg post-delivery of the fourth over at the MCG.

The England team indicated Atkinson had experienced "tightness" and was to take time off the field in order to be assessed "over the next few hours".

The series decider of the tour beginning on 4 January begins this coming Sunday.

The visitors have previously lost key quicks one seamer to a knee injury and another paceman with an abdominal strain on the current trip.

Matthew Fisher was brought into the squad to provide backup.

The seamer had a tough time during the first two matches, taking just a handful of scalps.

He was dropped for the Adelaide match, before being recalled for the Boxing Day match to fill the void.

Surrey's Atkinson improved at the MCG, bagging two scalps during the host's first knock, before adding 28 while batting as one of just three English batsmen who passed ten runs.

After bowling one over at the end of day one, he came back on Saturday morning and dismissed the nightwatchman edging to the keeper.

However, at the end of his spell, he sent down a variation to Travis Head and immediately felt his left hamstring.