KENT’S overseas professional Andrew Symonds has flown home to Australia in a bid to clear up his long-standing Achilles tendon injury and will miss the remainder of the county season.

The Queenslander, who has been struggling to bowl at full pace since picking up the strain at Worcester last month, has been told by Cricket Australia to report home for treatment in an effort to ensure his fitness and participation in the ICC Champions Trophy campaign in September.

Symonds was due to leave Kent on August 16, but his immediate loss is undoubtedly a blow to Kent’s Frizzell Championship aspirations.

Skipper David Fulton said: “It is a blow, but we knew he would be leaving us at some stage and we already have Michael Bevan lined up as his replacement. The situation with Bevan will be accelerated now and he will be with us as soon as is possible.

“We have to consider what’s best for the player here because there’s no doubt that the injury was staring to impact on what ‘Symo’ was capable of doing. It’s no major panic and something we will just have to manage.”

As a result, Kent have added all-rounder Matthew Dennington to the squad scheduled to take on Sussex starting at Hove on Friday.