Defiant Australian opener Justin Langer is confident he will play in next week's first Test against the West Indies despite fracturing a rib while playing for Western Australia on Saturday.

Selectors will monitor Langer's progress over the next few days and consider whether to draft a replacement batsmen into the Test squad, with fellow WA opener Mike Hussey the likely candidate.

Hussey was the player on standby to replace Langer's Australian opening partner Matthew Hayden when he was in doubt with a shoulder injury on the tour of New Zealand earlier this year, although he was not needed.

Hussey has also been in excellent form at one-day level for Australia and opened for Australia A on its recent tour of Pakistan.

But the gritty left-handed Test veteran said there would be no need for a standby player.

"I'll be playing on Thursday," Langer said.

"Apparently with a cracked rib the thing you have to get used to is the pain.

"There's nothing I can do, I just have to wait for it to heal, but I should be fine by Thursday I think.

"If I was playing tomorrow I still reckon I'd play a Test match, I'm not going to miss a Test match."

Langer, who sustained the injury while batting in Saturday's ING Cup loss to Victoria, will fly to Brisbane on Sunday night to join the Australian squad.

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