Australia have reacted to their mounting injury crisis by calling up seamer Stuart Clark to boost their bowling options for this week's crunch third Ashes Test.

Clark has been preferred to Victorian Mick Lewis, who is due to start his final championship match for Durham on Friday at home to Leicestershire.

Lewis was called down to Old Trafford by the tourists, but was required only as a net bowler.

As he has to return to Australia next week Durham had considered signing Clark for the final month of the season, only to find he was already committed to Middlesex.

Reeling from their two-run defeat in the second Test at Edgbaston, Australia expect to be without Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee at Old Trafford tomorrow.

McGrath, man-of-the-match during Australia's emphatic opening Test victory at Lord's, was ruled out of the Edgbaston encounter after treading on a cricket ball during the warm-up.

Lee suffered an infection to his left knee and was admitted to hospital in Birmingham on Monday. He is rated at no more than 50-50 to be fit for Old Trafford.

Australia's selectors opted to call up Clark, who had a five-wicket haul against Warwickshire on his debut for Middlesex last week.

The 29-year-old New South Wales seamer is an Australian contracted player.

''I was always hoping to get involved in the Ashes series because I knew I was coming over here to play county cricket.

"But to be actually here with the squad wearing an Australian cap and shirt is special,'' said Clark. ''It hasn't really sunk in yet.

''I suppose you're always thinking there may be an injury to let you into the team, but they don't happen very often. I suppose I'm one of the lucky ones who has a chance or opportunity to play. I suppose it's fate that I'm here.''

Clark is regarded as a McGrath-type line and length bowler rather than a bowler with the express pace of Lee and he admitted: ''I'm in a similar sort of mould to Glenn. I'm bowling from a good height and I hit the deck nice and hard.''

While he will come into contention for his Test debut, Australia have not given up all hope yet of Lee recovering in time and they are hopeful he will be discharged from hospital today.

''Brett was seen by the doctors this morning and they are happy with the progress of the treatment that has been administered so far,'' said physiotherapist Errol Alcott. ''The problem area around his left knee appears to have improved, but the doctors are keen for him to remain in hospital overnight.''

England skipper Michael Vaughan has called on supporters at Old Trafford to replicate the atmosphere of Edgbaston during the third Test.

Vaughan described the vocal support of the capacity 21,000 crowds in Birmingham throughout the four days of the second Test was like having a '12th man.'

In addition to backing England, several Australian players came in for constant taunts, including spinner Shane Warne and opening batsman Justin Langer, who had criticised the behaviour of the 'Barmy Army' during the last Ashes series Down Under.

Vaughan said: ''The support at Edgbaston was fantastic and, if you can call them a 12th man, they certainly helped us.

''It is always an intimidating atmosphere at Edgbaston. The surroundings always seem to bring the best out of the England team.

''I'd love to see an Old Trafford crowd be exactly the same because they certainly help the team.''

Lancashire chief executive Jim Cumbes said: ''They will be right behind England, I'm sure of that. But I hope there won't be the same kind of abuse directed at the Australians. Some of the comments and chants were over the top."

Cumbes admitted Manchester had been gripped with Ashes fever with more than 90,000 tickets having been sold for the first four days.

He added: ''This is our biggest Test in many years. The total gate will go into six figures if the match goes through to Monday.

''We have not had gates like that since the days when supporters sat on the grass.''

Andrew Flintoff has risen in the International Cricket Council's rankings, going up ten places to 25th in the batting list, and two places to 12th in the bowling.

Vaughan has slipped to 30th in the batting, while in the bowling, Matthew Hoggard and Steve Harmison are 10th and 11th respectively