Penrith will be have to field their third-different backline in as many NRL games, with a broken jaw ruling out winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak for up to six weeks.
The 22-year-old was injured in Saturday's defeat of South Sydney, but played on through the pain.
It's understood Penrith officials had toyed with the option of playing him again on Friday against Canterbury, but there is a concern he could miss up to 12 weeks in the event of another knock.
In good news for the Kiwi international, he will not require surgery or to have a plate inserted. Instead, he have a vertical stint put into his chin to keep his teeth in place.
It comes just a week after Dean Whare returned to left centre from a hamstring injury, sustained in the Panthers' final pre-season trial.
However, with the loss of Watene-Zelezniak, Whare or right centre Waqa Blake are likely to shift to the left wing, with Tyrone Peachey coming off the bench and into the centres for Friday's clash.
Other options for coach Anthony Griffin include elevating rookies Christian Crichton or Tom Eisenhuth onto the wing in place of Watene-Zelezniak.
"We've got a lot of good young guys coming up through the juniors," Whare said.
"Hopefully, stay (at left centre) but definitely able to play both sides or on the other side on the wing."
There is also an outside chance fullback Dylan Edwards might be unavailable, as his partner Nadine prepares to give birth.
The couple are due to become parents this week for the first time. Edwards confirmed on Wednesday he would miss the game to attend the birth if it timed out that way.
"My daughter will come first. She's a little girl so she will come first for sure," Edwards said.
"(She's due) on Thursday. It could be any day; it could have been yesterday - it could be any day.
"But at the moment, she hasn't decided to come yet so I haven't really thought about it."
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