Dallaglio out of Lions tour

Lawrence Dallaglio is the fifth player to return home

Lawrence Dallaglio has become the latest victim of the Lions' injury-ravaged tour of Australia and will play no part in any of the forthcoming matches.

The news is yet another big blow for the Lions, who recently lost Dan Luger and Mike Catt and had to rule Will Greenwood out of the opening Test in Brisbane.

Dallaglio, still struggling with a knee injury that threatened his chances of touring, is set to fly home, having never hit top form in Australia.

If I stayed on tour longer, I might do further damage to my knee, and it might need reconstruction

Lawrence Dallaglio

Ireland flanker David Wallace will replace him, while in another injury development, England hooker Dorian West has been called up to the squad.

Keith Wood and Robin McBryde are nursing injuries, and although neither player is going home, West has been summoned as cover.

"If I stayed on tour longer, I might do further damage to my knee, and it might need reconstruction," Dallaglio said on Sunday.

Dallaglio has appeared a pale shadow of his usual dynamic self, clearly lacking match sharpness.

His experience and presence will be missed by a Lions squad who have now lost five of their original 37-man squad through injury some six days before the Test series starts.

Huge loss

Dallaglio follows his fellow English internationals Mike Catt, Dan Luger, Phil Greening and Scotland's Simon Taylor out of the tour.

The Lions management would not expand on Wood's injury, although he too is believed to be nursing a knee problem, while McBryde's troublesome thigh has flared up again, leaving them both facing fitness battles.

Keith Wood has yet to recover from his knock

Unless West arrives in time, the Lions could be left without a specialist hooker on the bench for Tuesday's game against New South Wales Country.

Lions coach Graham Henry could not have experienced a worse start to Test week, especially after the recent loss of Greenwood.

Unlike Dallaglio though, the Lions medical staff believe Greenwood could recover in time for Saturday week's second Test in Melbourne.

Greenwood, who was hurt during the 41-24 victory over New South Wales, had an MRI scan carried out after leaving the Lions' Sydney hotel on crutches.

While Henry curses his bad luck, Wallabies coach Rod Macqueen, whose world champions are currently based just two miles down the Pacific Highway from the Lions in Coffs Harbour, has enjoyed a relatively trouble-free build-up.

Macqueen will announce his Test squad for Saturday's Gabba showdown on Monday.