Kurtley Beale’s hopes of facing up against the British and Irish Lions in June has taken a blow, with the Melbourne Rebels five-eighth to miss up to a month of Super Rugby with a hand fracture.
Beale is already carrying a shoulder complaint which will require surgery at the end of the season.
But he’s now due to go under the knife within the next 24 hours after scans on Monday revealed a fracture in his third metacarpal on his left hand which will keep him out for 3-4 weeks.
The Wallabies star suffered the injury in the Rebels bonus-point loss to NSW last Friday night.
Beale joins an extensive casualty ward at Melbourne which includes Cooper Vuna, Gareth Delve, Chris Thomson and Jason Woodward.
Melbourne are 1-2 to start the season and will be desperate for victory when they face Queensland in an Australian Conference derby on Friday night at AAMI Park.
The Rebels have never beaten the Reds before and the task will be made even harder without Beale, who was set to go head-to-head with Queensland No.10 Quade Cooper.
Even greater responsibility will now fall on James O’Connor, who could now be considered for a shift to five-eighth when Melbourne announce their team on Tuesday.
This will be the first match Wallaby Scott Higginbotham will play against his former club, the Reds.