Australia coach Darren Lehmann has admitted that Mitchell Starc could be handed a rest.

It has been a busy tour for Starc, who played in every Ashes Test match and appeared in the one-off Twenty20 before leading the attack in the first three one-day internationals.

Lehmann claims that a rest was planned for the left-arm seamer, but it remains unclear whether a change will be made with the tourists currently leading the series 2-1.

"I know there's been a lot of talk about someone like Mitchell Starc and his workload over the past 12 months has been exceptional. We'll see whether he plays or not on Friday," Lehmann told reporters ahead of the fourth ODI at Headingley.

"We wanted to try and get him home if we could - maybe play a couple of games and then bring in a younger bowler again.

"It hasn't played out that way so we'll just sum it up from here. We're all tired, but that's international cricket, that's what you do when you're representing your country."

Only Steve Smith has faced England as many times as Starc on the tour.