West Indies spearhead Jerome Taylor's tour-ending injury has been diagnosed as a stress fracture in the back.
Windies manager Joel Garner on Monday confirmed Taylor was heading home to Jamaica after suffering the injury in the heavy first Test loss to Australia at the Gabba.
It is a massive blow to the embattled tourists who are set to call paceman Gavin Tonge and bowling all-rounder Darren Sammy into their side for the second Test in Adelaide, starting Friday.
The Windies selectors were yet to decided on calling for a replacement player to reinforce the 14-man squad for the third Test in Perth.
Taylor broke down after bowling only nine overs on the opening day of the first Test thrashing at the Gabba.
Taylor was rested from the lead-in game against Queensland with general stiffness and soreness from the long flight to Brisbane, but there were concerns he carried an injury into the tour.
The 25-year-old's first-day problems in the Gabba Test were put down to hip stiffness but captain Chris Gayle described it as a back strain after the innings and 65-run loss.
Garner said scans taken on Saturday detected the stress fracture but he was unsure whether it was a problem that had plagued Taylor before the tour.
The Windies say key batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan is recovering well from his back injury but he did not train with the team at the Gabba on Monday morning.
