New South Wales sweat on Clarke

	Michael Clarke, who was with Tiger Woods in Melbourne on Wednesday, is close to returning to on-field action © Getty Images
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Michael Clarke will wait until Friday before deciding whether his back is strong enough to return to the domestic scene with New South Wales on Sunday. Clarke, the Australia vice-captain, has not played since the one-day tour of England due to the degenerative condition and he completed a training session with the Blues at the SCG on Thursday.

While Mitchell Johnson and Michael Hussey are being rested from the state games over the next week, Clarke is desperate to return in a bid to be fit for the first West Indies Test at the Gabba on November 26. But he will wait to see how the problem reacts to the session before determining when he will come back.

"My back is feeling good," he told AAP. "I guess probably over the last two weeks it has really improved. I had a good week of fitness last week and it really stabilised there."

Clarke went to Melbourne to meet with Alex Kountouris, Australia's physiotherapist, on Wednesday and was encouraged by the progress. "[Kountouris is] more than happy for me to have a good train today and fingers crossed hopefully I'll be right for either Sunday or Tuesday," Clarke said on Thursday afternoon. "I'd love to play both. We'll just have to wait and see how I go after training today."

The Blues have an FR Cup match against Tasmania at North Sydney Oval on Sunday before the Sheffield Shield clash starts on Tuesday. Those matches will also determine whether Brett Lee, who has an elbow problem, is a contender for Australia's first Test squad.

Clarke has increased his load this week, starting with short bats in the nets and building up to longer stints. "I'm very excited," he said. "It's great to be back."