England have been dealt a blow in their preparation for the Ashes with injuries to Moeen Ali and Steven Finn ruling them out of the first two matches on their Australia tour.

Moeen strained his left side and will miss the two-day game against Western Australia XI which starts at the WACA on Saturday and the four-day fixture with Cricket Australia XI in Adelaide.

England's premier spinner, who is also capable of making an impact with the bat, is expected to return to full training ahead of the final warm-up in Townsville on November 15.

A left knee issue has placed Finn out of contention, though the England and Wales Cricket Board stated his condition will be monitored by the medical department over the next seven days.

Middlesex seamer Finn was a late addition to the squad with doubts surrounding Ben Stokes' availability for the series.

The first Ashes Test gets underway at the Gabba on November 23.