Tom Lynagh has been ruled out of the upcoming Australia A tour at the 11th-hour with former NRL star Zac Lomax and Harry McLaughlin-Phillips called into the squad.
Lynagh played just 20 minutes of Super Rugby Pacific for the Queensland Reds and featured in one Super Aus match, but has otherwise battled calf and hamstring injuries throughout the season. This latest set back is a body blow to his hopes of a Wallabies recall ahead of next year's Rugby World Cup in Australia.
Meanwhile, fellow No.10 Tane Edmed headlines the squad ahead of the two-game tour of the United States, as he attempts to stay in the Rugby World Cup mix.
Rugby Australia on Monday unveiled a 27-man group that features 12 capped Wallabies, including Queensland Reds hooker Matt Faessler who has been named captain.
But it is Edmed and McLaughlin-Philips for whom this tour looms as pivotal, with a third playmaking spot for November's Nations Championship Test perhaps on offer with an impressive performance or two.
Edmed endured a tough Super Rugby Pacific season with the Brumbies after switching from the Waratahs, the 26-year-old stuck behind Declan Meredith.
Meredith now occupies the third spot in the Wallabies' fly-half pecking order, but came off the bench in Australia's 50-19 Bledisloe thrashing by the All Blacks. If Edmed or McLauhglin-Philips star in the U.S., it may force a change from Wallabies coach Les Kiss, particularly for Lynagh who last year started all three Tests against the British and Irish Lions.
"It's pleasing to pull together such a strong group of players for what will be a testing Tour against genuine international opposition," Australia A coach Stephen Larkham said.
"A lot of the players selected have performed well across Super Rugby AUS and to have a number of Wallabies in the mix shows the depth that is being created across the Australian rugby system."
Elsewhere, recent Wallabies second-rower Miles Amatosero has been included among the forwards, as has his Waratahs teammate Ethan Dobbins, who was the subject of Test speculation earlier this year.
Meanwhile, there is no Teddy Wilson in the backs with the Western Force's Nathan Hastie joining two-Test Wallaby Kalani Thomas as the squad's scrum-halves. Kadin Pritchard and Corey Toole will also head Stateside despite being late additions to Wallabies squad for Bledisloe II, while Dylan Pietsch, who started the year as Australia's first-choice left winger will also tour with Australia A.
Wilson was nearly a late callup to Australia's squad for Argentina, but was eventually not required. The fact he has been left out of this Australia A squad suggests he may well be back on the Test radar, with Thomas instead given the opportunity to add to some limited game time in recent months.
AUSTRALIA A SQUAD
Forwards: Miles Amatosero, Joe Brial, Ethan Dobbins, Eamon Doyle, Matt Faessler (c), Nick Frost, Will Harris, Lington Ieli, Tom Lambert, Lachlan Lonergan, Toby Macpherson, Zane Nonggorr, Luke Reimer, Tom Robertson, Rory Scott, Rhys van Nek
Backs: Lachie Anderson, Tane Edmed, David Feliuai, Mac Grealy, Nathan Hastie, Zac Lomaz, Harry McLaughlin-Philips, Dylan Pietsch, Kadin Pritchard, Tim Ryan, Kalani Thomas, Corey Toole