A ruptured bicep has ended Samu Kerevi's season and thrown a spanner in the works for both the Queensland Reds and the Wallabies.
Strike centre Kerevi carried the injury through the June Test series but was sent for scans after Queensland's Super Rugby defeat to the Blues on Friday night, and was due to undergo surgery on Monday evening.
He will be sidelined for between 12 and 16 weeks, meaning he won't play again this year for club or country.
"Absolutely guttered (sic) but unfortunately my season has come to an end. Just wanted to thank everyone for the support throughout the @redsrugby & @wallabies season. Time to fix the body and rest up," Kerevi posted on Instagram.
Fijian-born Kerevi, 24, is Queensland's vice-captain and their most potent attacking threat.
He has also been a regular starter in the No.13 jersey for Australia since making his Test debut in 2016.
His injury presents something of a quandary for Reds coach Brad Thorn and Wallabies mentor Michael Cheika.
Chris Feauai-Sautia and Izaia Perese would be the two most likely candidates to fill in at outside centre, but the former has undergone season-ending surgery of his own, and the latter also has a knee problem and is unlikely to return in the next two weeks.
It means Thorn may have to move rookie Jordan Petaia from the wing and into arguably the most difficult defensive position in rugby for Friday night's clash with the Melbourne Rebels at Suncorp Stadium.
Cheika, meanwhile, will also need to find a replacement at No.13 for the forthcoming Rugby Championship, Bledisloe Cup and end-of-year European tour.
Tevita Kuridrani is an obvious candidate but Cheika is equally likely to look through his options ahead of next year's World Cup, which could mean a positional shift for the likes of Reece Hodge or an opportunity for Curtis Rona.
Kerevi has scored five tries in his 21 Test caps to date.
