Samu Kerevi will have to rely on club rugby to whip him into shape for next month's Bledisloe Cup opener after a gym mishap which has ruled him out of Queensland's last Super Rugby match of the season.
The Wallabies' powerhouse was due to return from an ankle injury in Friday night's clash with the Highlanders in Dunedin, having not played since early June.
But Kerevi tweaked his pectoral muscle on Monday, meaning Campbell Magnay would remain in the No.13 jersey for his last Reds appearance before shifting to Japan's Suntory Sungoliath.
"It's a shame," coach Nick Stiles said.
"The way he's played against the Highlanders over the last few years would have given us some really good punch in the midfield."
The injury is expected to sideline Kerevi for only a couple of weeks.
The Reds have made only one personnel change, as they seek to end the year-long winless drought of Australian franchises against New Zealand teams, with Caleb Timu brought into the side for his Super Rugby debut at blindside flanker.
Rob Simmons, after playing there last week, moves to the second row to accommodate him, while Kane Douglas drops to the bench.
Former Brisbane under-20s rugby league star Timu - also a one-time schoolboy rugby prodigy, praised for his ball-running ability - made his first provincial appearance off the bench in last week's comeback win over the Brumbies.
"You play New Zealand sides, you've got to play with physicality. We're starting Caleb for that very reason," Stiles said.
Reece Hewat and Jayden Ngamanu are in line to make their Super Rugby debuts off the bench.
Australian under-20s captain Hewat, a loose forward, and outside back Ngamanu are the latest players to come off Queensland's production line following the likes of James Tuttle, Izack Rodda, Izaia Perese, Adam Korczyk and Markus Vanzati, who have all made major impressions this year.
The last-gasp 16-15 victory against bogey side the Brumbies last Friday was their finest moment yet, with many of those young faces on the field as the Reds reversed a nine-point deficit in the final 10 minutes.
"There's some real quality coming through," stand-in captain Stephen Moore said.
"It's only natural those players will start to come into the Reds and be permanent players in that team.
"We've got to make sure it's memorable for them."
REDS:
Karmichael Hunt, Izaia Perese, Campbell Magnay, Duncan Paia'aua, Eto Nabuli, Quade Cooper, James Tuttle, Adam Korczyk, George Smith, Caleb Timu, Izack Rodda, Rob Simmons, Taniela Tupou, Stephen Moore (capt), Sef Fa'agase.
Res: Alex Mafi, Markus Vanzati, Sam Talakai, Kane Douglas, Reece Hewat, Moses Sorovi, Hamish Stewart, Jayden Ngamanu.
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