Queensland Reds captain Will Genia has thrown a cloud of doubt over Wallabies teammate and Melbourne Rebels star Kurtley Beale’s involvement in Friday night’s Super Rugby clash at AAMI Park.
Genia on Monday reported Beale may struggle to play the Reds due to a rib injury sustained in Saturday’s 20-19 third Test victory over Wales in Sydney.
Beale sat out Rebels training in Melbourne on Monday but club officials expect him to be fine to play.
“Hopefully he doesn’t play, I think he’s hurt his ribs,” Wallabies halfback Genia said.
“It was early on in the game but he toughed it out and continued so we’ll wait and see if he’s going to be out there in Melbourne.”
Although Beale starred at five-eighth before the June international break, the Reds expect him to play fullback if fit.
Fellow Rebels star James O’Connor trained fully on Monday and Queensland coach Ewen McKenzie tipped him to return from his lacerated liver injury at five-eighth in a mouth-watering positional battle against Quade Cooper.
Cooper is waiting for the official green light to return after undergoing hamstring tests on Friday but McKenzie expects his playmaker plus Australian under-20 flanker Liam Gill (head knock) to pass tests.
Genia takes over the captaincy from injured lock James Horwill (hamstring) who will be replaced in the second-row by Adam Wallace-Harrison.
McKenzie revealed the Reds had called young forwards Blake Enever and Jarrad Butler up from the national academy and into their squad to cover for the losses of Horwill and back-rower Ed Quirk (shoulder).