James Ward ruled out of GB v Belgium Davis Cup tie

James Ward will miss Great Britain's Davis Cup tie against Belgium on 6-8 April, with Josh Goodall coming into the squad as his replacement.

A back injury to Ward means 253rd-ranked Goodall joins Dan Evans, Colin Fleming and Ross Hutchins in the side.

Ward, ranked 154th in the world, was GB's lead singles player for the Euro/Africa Zone Group I tie after Andy Murray decided not to play.

Victory at the Braehead Arena would send GB into a World Group play-off.

It is the same Glasgow venue where Goodall made his only previous Davis Cup appearance against Ukraine in 2009.

The 26-year-old from Basingstoke is on a run of five straight victories having won a Futures tournament in Germany last week.

He will go straight into the team at number one, with 344th-ranked Evans the second singles player after guiding GB past Slovakia in February.

"It's bad luck for James, but a great opportunity for me," said Goodall.

"I'm in good form, and I know from previous experience what a great atmosphere you get at the Braehead Arena for a Davis Cup tie, so I can't wait."

Captain Leon Smith added: "It's a shame for James, because he was hitting really well in training, but Josh is more than capable of stepping up for this tie.

"He's got Davis Cup experience here, he's motivated and he's playing really well right now."

Smith is aiming for a sixth successive win since taking over the role from John Lloyd in 2010.

Murray has opted to work on the practice courts with coach Ivan Lendl in preparation for the clay court season.