Australia v Wales: Toby Faletau ruled out, Gareth Delve called up

Toby Faletau has been ruled out of Wales' three-Test tour to Australia as the number eight suffered a broken bone in his hand in their first Test defeat.

The 21-year-old has been replaced in the 34-man squad by Melbourne Rebels' Gareth Delve, who won the last of his 11 caps against Ireland in March 2010.

Faletau joins centre Jamie Roberts and hooker Huw Bennett as Wales' absentees.

Faletau was injured in a bruising 27-19 defeat in Brisbane where George North and Scott Williams also went off.

Wales' caretaker coach Rob Howley is hopeful that both North and Williams will be fit for Saturday's second Test in Melbourne.

North was replaced by James Hook after 31 minutes of Saturday's 27-19 Suncorp Stadium loss because of a dead leg and the Scarlets wing will be assessed by the Welsh medical staff.

Williams needed stitches to a mouth wound after a clash of heads with Australia hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau midway through the second half and the Scarlets centre was replaced by Ashley Beck.

Wales expect both North and Williams to recover as the 2012 Grand Slam winners hope to beat the Wallabies in Australia for the first time since 1969 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

But Faletau, who has not missed a game for virtually 18 months and has already won 18 Wales caps since his international debut against the Barbarians in June 2011, is set to return to Wales and the Newport Gwent Dragons will hope he can be fit for the start of the Pro12 season in September.

The Rodney Parade side are already expected to be without back-row colleague Dan Lydiate at the start of the season as the blind-side flanker will undergo surgery in an attempt to solve a persistent ankle problem.

Wales squad for Australia tour:

FORWARDS: Luke Charteris (Newport Gwent Dragons), Ian Evans (Ospreys), Bradley Davies (Cardiff Blues), Rhys Gill (Saracens), Richard Hibbard (Ospreys), Paul James (Ospreys), Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Adam Jones (Ospreys), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Rhodri Jones (Scarlets), Ryan Jones (Ospreys), Dan Lydiate (Newport Gwent Dragons), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Matthew Rees (Scarlets), Aaron Shingler (Scarlets), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Josh Turnbull (Scarlets), Sam Warburton (Cardiff Blues), Gareth Delve (Melbourne Rebels)

BACKS: Ashley Beck (Ospreys), Andrew Bishop (Ospreys), Aled Brew (Biarritz), Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Leigh Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues), James Hook (Ospreys), George North (Scarlets), Mike Phillips (Bayonne), Rhys Priestland (Scarlets), Harry Robinson (Cardiff Blues), Rhys Webb (Ospreys), Lloyd Williams (Cardiff Blues), Scott Williams (Scarlets), Liam Williams (Scarlets).