Australian pace bowler Jackson Bird’s Kent stay has been curtailed by injury.

The experienced overseas international was meant to be available for up to the first six matches of Kent's County Championship Division 1 campaign before their T20 Blast defence begins later this month.

But having sustained a shoulder injury in their heavy defeat at home to Hampshire, he will not play for Matt Walker’s side again this summer.

However, experienced batter Joe Denly (hamstring) could be back in time for their four-day match against a Sri Lanka Cricket Development XI which starts from Friday while all-rounder Grant Stewart (hamstring) is due to be assessed. He scored 90 in the second innings of Kent's draw against Yorkshire but had to bat with a runner in the second innings after he got injured when bowling.

Kent head coach Walker revealed: “Jackson has gone home. He won’t be available any more.

“He’s torn a tendon in his shoulder, which is not a great injury. It’s going to take a huge amount of rehab and he wouldn’t be fit for his remaining time with us anyway. So he’s gone home.

“Joe is not far away. Joe more than likely will play this week against Sri Lanka all being well.

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“Grant, we don’t know yet. That will be diagnosed once it settles down. But I think he did well coming off when he came off.

“He was aware of it and, had he tried to bowl on it any more, that could have cost him weeks on that injury.

“Hopefully it’s a couple of weeks - maybe a little bit more, maybe a little bit less - I think we have got to see what the true picture is once it’s had time to settle down a little bit.

“Fred Klaassen had a slight groin twinge (playing) with the second-team so he won’t be available this week either.

“But apart from that, I think we are okay.”

Director of cricket Paul Downton added: “We all wish Jackson a swift recovery and he leaves with our best wishes.

“We hope to see him fit and playing again at the start of the Australian season.”

Kent have already had to contend with their fair share of injuries this season and Walker intends to rest most of his key players for their game against a Sri Lanka Development XI at The Spitfire Ground, Canterbury, having taken a draw away from their match at Headlingley after back-to-back home Division 1 losses.

“There have been a few injuries, as there always is at the start of the year,” commented Walker, who confirmed veteran all-rounder Darren Stevens hadn’t missed the Yorkshire match through injury.

“For some of the guys, they’ve had quite a busy first few weeks. So I think this week off comes at quite a good time, especially when those results aren’t quite going your way.

“If you are winning, you want to keep going.

“But this probably just gives us a chance to regroup a little bit and, hopefully, get our heads around these next two games coming up against Surrey and Northamptonshire.”

New Zealand fast bowler Matt Henry is returning to Kent but only from July 10, still some two months away.