Johnson, 32, is expected to miss the Twenty20 World Cup tournament in Bangladesh starting later this month with a severely infected big toe on his right foot.
However Cricket Australia are still hopeful the left-arm quick will make the trip, albeit later than first expected.
He was due to leave his home town Perth on Sunday to join up with the Australian World Cup squad in Bangladesh ahead of the month-long tournament.
“Mitch has been home in Perth recovering from the Test series against South Africa but has developed an infection as a result of a cut he had on his right big toe after the 3rd Test,” Cricket Australia chief medical officer Justin Paolini said.
“He is receiving treatment but his departure to Bangladesh for the ICC World T20 may be delayed until we are happy that the infection has resolved and his toe fully recovered.”
Johnson is on a heavy course of antibiotics and is understood to have been advised that he could be out of action for at least a month.
He is desperate to recover in time for the lucrative Indian Premier League starting in mid-April where Johnson is a $1 million player with the strong King’s Punjab franchise.
His injury flared from nasty blisters on his feet and especially his right big toe which is Johnson’s front-landing foot in his explosive delivery stride in one of world cricket’s most feared bowling actions.
The infection has also spread into his right foot, which suffered hefty pounding through five consecutive Tests at home over summer as the big left-armer smashed through England in a historic Ashes whitewash with 37 wickets at a miserly average of only 13.9.
He carried his wicket-taking venom to South Africa where Johnson snatched another 22 wickets in the three-Test series.
