Melbourne will have three debutants in their starting line-up but no star recruit Marika Koroibete as they open the Super Rugby season against a depleted Blues on Thursday night.
Jackson Garden-Bachop, the son of New Zealand international Stephen Bachop, has won the starting five-eighth jersey for the AAMI Park clash while promising youngster Jack Maddocks has been named to make his debut on the wing.
Maddocks is replacing Sefa Naivalu, who joins a growing line of the Rebels' injured Wallabies on the sidelines, while Garden-Bachop has pushed Jack Debreczeni to fullback.
Japanese international Amanaki Mafi will have his first Super Rugby start, named at No.8.
An underdone Koroibete came up short after the former Melbourne Storm NRL winger missed both the Rebels trials and their Global Rugby Tens campaign with a knee injury.
Naivalu was ruled out with an infection, joining fellow Test players flanker Sean McMahon, prop Toby Smith and hooker James Hanson who are also unavailable for the first match of 2017.
Coach Tony McGahan said he couldn't take the risk playing players who weren't at 100 per cent.
"It's unfortunate we're missing key players for round one; we gave everyone the chance to prove their fitness and availability, but it's too early in the season to risk the long term health of our players with a big season still ahead of us," McGahan said.
Reserve hooker Jordan Uelese is set to become the third Victorian to make his Super Rugby debut for the Rebels, following Sione Tuipulotu and Rob Leota in 2016, while former Red Jake Schatz is likely to make his Rebels debut off the bench.
While they have their own injury woes, Melbourne are facing a vastly weakened Blues outfit.
Co-captains Jerome Kaino and James Parsons and All Blacks lock Patrick Tuipulotu are all sidelined, along with Sonny Bill Williams, as expected, with lock Jimmy Tupou the new skipper.
Williams is still recovering from a ruptured achilles suffered at the Rio Olympics.
They have a new-look tight five, with only 19 Blues caps between them.
Three All Blacks - Charlie Faumuina, George Moala and Rene Ranger - have been included on the bench.
Former Melbourne NRL winger Matt Duffie has been named on the Blues' wing.
Despite the outs McGahan said they would still be a force.
"They're going to be a physical side full of confidence after their trial victory over the Chiefs last week, but we've got 23 fit players ready to roll up their sleeves and eager to impress," McGahan said.
Melbourne won their last meeting at AAMI Park back in 2015.
REBELS: Jack Debreczeni, Jack Maddocks, Mitch Inman, Reece Hodge, Tom English, Jackson Garden-Bachop, Nic Stirzaker (capt), Amanaki Mafi, Colby Fainga'a, Jordy Reid, Lopeti Timani, Steve Cummins, Laurie Weeks, Pat Leafa, Cruze Ah-Nau. Res: Jordan Uelese, Tom Moloney, Tyrel Lomax, Culum Retallick, Jake Schatz, Ben Meehan, Sione Tuipulotu, Jonah Placid.
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