Melbourne - Reds captain Will Genia has thrown a cloud of doubt over Wallabies
team-mate 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 today 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 flyhalf 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 Reds 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).
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