Lions lynchpin Brian O'Driscoll will miss Saturday's third and final Test in Johannesburg with concussion sustained in the bruising clash with the Springboks last weekend.
The Ireland and Leinster captain will fly back to Europe on Wednesday along with Wales prop Adam Jones, who dislocated his shoulder in a challenge with lock Bakkies Botha at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
Jones's fellow prop Gethin Jenkins is also out of the final Test with an injury to an eye socket, while centre Jamie Roberts could also miss out with a wrist injury.
Coach Shaun Edwards described the scene in the Lions' changing room after the match as "like a casualty ward" with Ronan O'Gara sustaining a black eye and Tommy Bowe nursing an elbow injury in addition to the more serious knocks sustained by Jones, O'Driscoll, Jenkins and Roberts.
O'Driscoll said: "Being a part of the 2009 British and Irish Lions squad has been one of the highlights of my career.
"We were unbeaten leading into the Test matches and it is a shame that the results in the Tests did not go our way but sport comes down to fine margins at times. We could easily have won the first two Tests but it wasn't to be. I have decided to return home to my family this week."
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