Back injury forces Harmison out of Test series

Stephen Harmison has been ruled out of the Test series against Sri Lanka with a back injury.

Harmison was forced to return home early from the Bangladesh Test series with a dodgy back, and even there he missed the second Test after picking up match figures of 9 for 79 - and the Man of the Match award - in the first game at Dhaka.

After a scan showed no serious damage, he was planning to rejoin the squad in Sri Lanka. He has been undergoing treatment at the national academy at Loughborough, but today failed a fitness test.

"He bowled at the national academy a week ago and he was sore for a few days afterwards," said Peter Gregory, England's chief medical officer. "Then he returned for a fitness test on Monday in front of the selectors, England's Test-squad physiotherapist Kirk Russell and myself, and, when bowling his second spell in the nets, it was clear that he could not continue."

"I'm disappointed not to be leaving tomorrow for Sri Lanka as planned because of my back injury especially when I feel my Test career is going forward with every game," Harmison said. "Missing the tour is hard, but I know that injury is just part of the highs and lows of being a professional sportsman. My main aim now is to get fit as soon as possible and return to the England team, hopefully before the end of the Sri Lanka tour."

As a result, Richard Johnson will retain his place in the Test squad after originally being called up as a replacement. The three-Test series begins at Galle on December 2.