EVERY cloud has a silver lining – but can some clouds have two?

Rarely is an injury suffered by the most in-form player in the team seen as a good thing, and indeed Australia will be hurt by the absence of David Warner over the coming games.

On Monday (AEST) Warner was ruled out of the rest of the one-day tri-series in the Caribbean – and according to Australia’s medical team could face up to six weeks on the sidelines - after breaking his finger in the 36-run win over South Africa in St Kitts.

The gun batsman, who scored a century earlier in that match, now faces a nervous wait ahead of the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka that Australia will fly out for in less than a month’s time.

Yet within this bad news lies one positive for Australia, and another for Warner himself.

SILVER LINING PART ONE – FOR THE TEAM

Australia’s batting line-up looks a whole lot less intimidating without Warner’s name at the top of the list.

Yet the top of the order isn’t where Australia has been having problems, and with Usman Khawaja set to shift up a spot to open alongside Aaron Finch, the Aussies will still be confident of doing damage against the new ball.

Problems have instead arisen in the middle order, and that is where Warner’s replacement will bat.

David Warner posted a century against South Africa before injuring his finger in the field. Source: AFP

Either Glenn Maxwell or Travis Head will come into the side, both with big points to prove.

Maxwell is Australia’s reigning one-day player of the year but was dumped on the weekend due to a poor run of form with the bat. It was the first time Maxwell had been dropped due to form since November 2014.

Now that he’s had a couple of days to stew over that decision, throwing the out-of-sorts all-rounder back into the fray after a proverbial kick up the backside could prove the tonic to fix his batting woes.

Head, on the other hand, is trying to break into the team for the first time. The 22-year-old impressed all-comers during his breakout season with South Australia and Adelaide Strikers last summer, but now could be his chance to prove he has the mettle to score runs at the highest level.

With Australia sitting on top of the tri-series table the stakes for the Windies clash are about as low as they could be for a one-day international, making it the perfect opportunity to blood Head.

The youngster will be out to prove a point and will surely heed the advice his captain gave after learning of Warner’s injury.

“It’s going to be a bit of onus on the player that comes in and the guys in the top four to try and get the job done,” Australia skipper Steve Smith said. “It’s about adapting and trying to get yourself in – it might take a little bit longer than normal but once you get yourself in you’ve got to try cash in.”

Either way the long-term balance and depth within the Aussie one-day setup will benefit from someone getting a shot in Warner’s absence.

Travis Head is waiting in the wings for Australia. Source: AFP

SILVER LINING, PART TWO – FOR WARNER

No player worth his salt enjoys missing out on playing for his country, and Warner will definitely be disappointed that his tri-series is over.

Yet the timing of his injury could barely have been better.

The 29-year-old has been playing cricket virtually non-stop since turning out for New South Wales in a Sheffield Shield match in late October last year.

Since then he’s played home and away Test series’ against New Zealand, a home Test series against West Indies, one-day and Twenty20 matches at home against India, one-dayers in New Zealand, Twenty20s in South Africa, the World T20 in India and a full season of Indian Premier League before arriving in the Caribbean.

After the tri-series wraps up the Aussies will spend about a week and a half at home before heading to Sri Lanka for two months, coming home for a couple of weeks, flying to South Africa for six one-day internationals before commencing a home summer that will wrap up at the end of February – which is just before Australia’s scheduled Test series in India.

Warner will get a well-earned rest back home. Source: AFP

In other words, if it wasn’t for the injury then Warner would only have had about three or four weeks’ rest in 18 months.

Now this extended break from cricket gives the Australian vice-captain time to refresh his mind and body.

“It’s obviously disappointing to be sidelined given the form I’ve been in and given the important stage the tri-series is at, but it’s always important to look at the positives,” Warner said.

“This downtime, however long or short it is, will give me the chance to freshen up and spend quality time with my family after an intense period of action.”